British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters during his Gulf visit that “we’ve been pulling together a coalition of countries” after he discussed military capabilities and Strait of Hormuz logistics with US President Donald Trump.
Keir Starmer said on Friday that he and Trump had spoken a day earlier about the practicalities of moving vessels through the Strait, with heightened regional tensions.
“We’ve been pulling together a coalition of countries working on a political, diplomatic plan, but also looking at military capabilities and the logistics of actually moving vessels through the Strait,” Starmer said during his visit to the Gulf.
According to Starmer, the call with Trump focused heavily on contingency planning. “That was the focus of the discussion last night reflection on what I’ve been discussing here, but also that focus on a practical plan in relation to navigation through the Strait.”
He did not provide further details on what specific military options were considered.
Asked if he raised US threats of withdrawing from NATO with Trump, Starmer did not answer directly but stressed the alliance’s value. “NATO is a defensive alliance which, for decades, has kept us much safer than we would otherwise have been,” he said. “It is in both the US and Europe’s interests.”
Officials say diplomatic and military coordination efforts are ongoing as allies weigh responses to threats to shipping lanes.
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