Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has said: ‘We are at a critical diplomatic moment with a ceasefire now in place… but we don’t yet have normal passage through the strait”
Iranian gun boats today targeted commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz after the country’s regime reclosed it, stating it was in response to a US blockade they claimed amounted to “maritime robbery”.
A container ship was hit by an “unknown projectile” at around 12.25pm UK time, about two hours after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly fired on a tanker. And shortly after 1pm UK-time, the master of a cruise ship reported “sighting a splash in close proximity of the vessel” three nautical miles east of Oman.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported all three incidents, describing the cruise ship incident as “suspicious activity”. It came amid reports US soldiers are preparing to board oil tankers and seize commercial ships linked to Iran in international waters in the coming days following a new war of words between Iranian leaders and US President Donald Trump, who today warned them they “can’t blackmail us”.
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Speaking while launching more research into the use of psychedelic drugs to treat mental health conditions, he added: “They got a little cute as they have been doing for 47 years, nobody took ’em on.
“We took ’em on. They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, they have no leaders, they have no nothing. Actually their leaders it is regime change. You call that enforced regime change. But we’re talking to them. They wanted to close up the strait again as they have been doing for years, but they can’t blackmail us.”
Trump made the remarks during a White House press conference on Saturday, before abruptly ending the event without taking any questions on the ongoing Middle East crisis. He had earlier said he would continue to take a “tough stand” with Iran’s leaders and that strikes on the country could resume if no deal is reached by the end of the ceasefire next week.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a statement claiming the country’s “valiant navy” is “ready to inflict new bitter defeats on its enemies”, while its Supreme National Security Council vowed it “will not make even the slightest compromise, retreat or leniency, and will defend with all its strength the interests of the Iranian nation”.
It emphasised it will continue to control the Strait of Hormuz “until the war is definitively ended and lasting peace is achieved”, while Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref added: “Control of the Strait of Hormuz is in our hands. Either they grant us our right at the negotiating table or we seize it on the battlefield.”
Tehran also rejected Trump’s claims about ongoing negotiations, which included that negotiations were “working out very well” and the US would get all of Iran’s “nuclear dust” – his phrase for enriched uranium. Iran’s parliamentary speaker also refuted a string of other claims, stating Trump had made “seven claims in one hour, all seven of which were false”.
About 20% of the world’s oil trade passes through the strait, which temporarily reopened on Friday after being blocked since early in the US-Israeli war on Iran. Around 20 ships had begun sailing through the strait on Saturday morning, before Iran ordered it reclosed and directed them to turn around.
In a new statement, the IRGC announced the strait will return “to its previous state”… “under strict management and control of the armed forces”. The statement, released via Iran’s Fars news agency, also accused the US of “piracy” after US President Donald Trump announced a US blockade would “remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the US, including on its nuclear program.
He also raised the spectre of further attacks on Iran. When asked what he would do if there’s no deal when a ceasefire expires next week, Trump said: “I don’t know. Maybe I won’t extend it, but the blockade is going to remain. But maybe I won’t extend it, so you’ll have a blockade and unfortunately we’ll have to start dropping bombs again.”
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Saturday the Strait of Hormuz had yet to return to normal operations despite a ceasefire in the Iran war, urging Tehran to allow global shipping to fully resume. She said: “We are at a critical diplomatic moment with a ceasefire now in place… but we don’t yet have normal passage through the strait.”
Ms Cooper said the US-Iran ceasefire needed to develop into lasting peace, adding that restoring shipping through the waterway was urgent for the global economy. She added: “We need the Strait of Hormuz open… because this helps all of our economies right across the world that are currently being held hostage.”
The strait’s continued closure risks causing a summer of misery for British households amid fears of rising bills and potential shortages, including jet fuel. On Friday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Macron chaired a virtual meeting of about 40 countries focused on a global response to keeping the Strait open.
Starmer said the UK and France will lead an international mission to protect freedom of navigation in the waterway “as soon as conditions allow, strictly peaceful and defensive”. The government has reportedly drawn up emergency plans for a “reasonable worst-case scenario” where the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz leads to a shortage of carbon dioxide.
It was claimed earlier this week healthcare and civil nuclear energy would be prioritised because CO2 is needed to cool blood supplies, organs and vaccines, as well as for electricity supply. Brits have also been advised to stock up on certain goods and “prepare for the unexpected” as the war continues.
Other sectors also risk being left without, including farming, food and drink manufacturers, and hospitality. CO2 is used to increase the shelf life of food such as salad, meats and baked goods, and is also critical in animal slaughter. The gas is also used to make drinks fizzy – so supply disruption could even impact beer drinkers cheering on England and Scotland in the World Cup.
A lack of fertiliser has also led to separate warnings from farmers about soaring costs which could prevent them growing new crops, and potentially higher prices. The strait’s closure even threatens to affect holiday flights amid warnings Europe has just six weeks of jet fuel left.
Two airlines have already cancelled flights, including Germany’s Lufthansa, which yesterday halted its CityLine services — including flights to and from London — due to rocketing costs of kerosene, used in aviation fuel, and an ongoing trade union dispute. The Netherlands’ airline KLM has also cancelled 160 flights over the next month, as the industry feels the impact of the strait’s closure.
International Energy Agency’s Fatih Birol has said the ongoing war is causing the largest energy crisis the world has ever faced, with Asian nations that rely on energy from the Middle East currently on “the front line”. He said Europe and the Americas would feel the impact by late May.
Meanwhile, a 10-day truce between Israel and Lebanon, which was announced on Friday, yesterday appeared under threat, despite Donald Trump writing on social media that he had prohibited Israel from bombing Lebanon any longer. Just hours after the ceasefire took effect, the Lebanese army accused Israel of ceasefire “violations” as thousands of people in Lebanon headed south for their homes, despite warnings from Israel not to.
French President Emmanuel Macron also announced that a French United Nations peacekeeping soldier was killed in an attack in the south of the country – adding that evidence suggests Hezbollah was responsible. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attack and ordered an investigation.
Hezbollah denied involvement in the attack, which also injured three other peacekeepers. The reports came after Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who has kept troops in south Lebanon, said the campaign against Hezbollah is not complete.
