UK will 'not be involved' in Donald Trump's blockade of Strait of Hormuz

In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform after the peace talks ended without a deal, the US President said the US navy would also "seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran.

"No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas."

He continued to say that although US peace talks in Pakistan involving US Vice-President JD Vance "went well" with "most points agreed to", the matter of Iran's nuclear future "was not".

Without elaborating, Mr Trump said “other countries will be involved with this blockade".

However, it is understood the UK will not be one of the nations involved in the US President's blockade of the vital shipping lane.

A Government spokesman said: "We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is urgently needed to support the global economy and the cost of living back home.

"The Strait of Hormuz must not be subject to tolling.

"We are urgently working with France and other partners to put together a wide coalition to protect freedom of navigation."

Mr Trump's blockade will mean tankers transporting precious resources and oil will be prevented from entering or leaving the bottlenecked shipping lane.

The 29-mile-wide stretch of water is thought to be filled with Iranian sea mines, which the regime is no longer able to locate.

Despite the UK's lack of involvement in the blockade, it is understood UK mine hunting systems are already in the region.

Britain's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously said "as many partners as possible" must be involved in coming up with a "viable plan" to reopen the maritime pinch point, through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported.

Sir Keir and the Sultan of Oman agreed the US, Israel and Iran should avoid "any further escalation", in a call on Sunday morning.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister spoke to the Sultan of Oman, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik al Said, this morning.

"They discussed the peace talks held in Pakistan over the weekend and urged both sides to find a way through. It was vital there was a continuation of the ceasefire, and that all parties avoided any further escalation, the leaders agreed.

"His majesty updated on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Prime Minister thanked him for Oman’s efforts to rescue sailors from vessels in distress in the region.

"Reflecting on international efforts to coordinate safe passage for shipping in the region, the Prime Minister said that following meetings convened by the Foreign Secretary and British military planners, partners continued to work towards restoring freedom of navigation for the long term.

"The Prime Minister also reiterated the UK’s commitment to ensuring Oman’s security and updated on the UK’s work with Ukraine on drone technology.

"It was clear Ukraine’s expertise had been vital to the region in recent weeks, while Russia appeared to continue to support Iran’s aggression, the Prime Minister added. The leaders agreed to speak again soon."

Just prior to revelations about the UK's lack of involvement in the blockade, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey told the Prime Minister he should not join with the US, saying: "Keir Starmer should rule out the UK joining Donald Trump’s latest escalation in his idiotic war. Iran won’t give ships free passage but a unilateral blockade is not the right way to end this.

"The UK should be working with other countries to get the US and Iran back to the negotiating table, not fanning the flames of war.

"It’s just days since Trump threatened to destroy a whole civilisation, and a return to war would be disastrous. The Prime Minister needs to work in lock-step with our reliable partners to secure a diplomatic end to this crisis."

Shortly afterwards, Donald Trump criticised Sir Keir Starmer’s stance on Washington’s war against Iran, comparing the Prime Minister to Neville Chamberlain – whose premiership was defined by his 1930s appeasement of Adolf Hitler.

"Nato is shameful," the US President told Fox News.

"I mean, look at the United Kingdom… PM Starmer said ‘we’ll send the equipment after the war is over’.

"I said ‘you don’t need equipment when the war is over. You need the equipment before the war starts, or during the war’…

"He made a public statement that ‘we will send equipment after the war is over’, that’s a Neville Chamberlain statement."

GB News has contacted the MoD for comment.