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<\/p>\nIran could face further sanctions if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, the Foreign Secretary has signalled after holding talks with more than 40 nation from across the world.<\/p>\n
Yvette Cooper said collective action to increase pressure on Tehran was being discussed as she accused the country of trying to \u201chold the global economy hostage\u201d with its stranglehold on the key shipping lane.<\/p>\n
Iran has throttled the channel in retaliation for the month-long US-Israeli campaign against it, causing global oil prices to soar.<\/p>\n
In the face of US President Donald Trump\u2019s repeated criticism of allies over their refusal to take part in his offensive against Tehran, Ms Cooper said that \u201cour job is to take decisions in the UK national interest\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIran\u2019s closure of the Strait of Hormuz is a direct threat to global prosperity,\u201d she said in a statement following the virtual meeting on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cIran is trying to hold the global economy hostage in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey must not prevail. To that effect, partners today called for the immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait and respect for the fundamental principles of freedom of navigation and the law of the sea.\u201d<\/p>\n
Talks focused on the prospect of increasing diplomatic pressure, including through the UN, to push Iran to allow unimpeded transit and to \u201ccomprehensively reject\u201d tolls being imposed on vessels seeking to pass through, she said.<\/p>\n
Countries also discussed exploring \u201cco-ordinated economic and political measures, such as sanctions, to bear down on Iran if the Strait remains closed,\u201d according to the statement.<\/p>\n
Efforts could include working with the International Maritime Organisation to ensure that the first stranded ships can get moving again as 2,000 remain trapped, Ms Cooper said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Locator graphic showing the Strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n
(PA Graphics)<\/p>\n
Former national security adviser Lord Peter Ricketts warned on Thursday that negotiations with Iran would likely need to take place in order for the the strait to be reopened.<\/p>\n
Britain is seeking to lead the diplomatic initiative, including countries such as France, Germany and some Gulf nations, after Mr Trump signalled it was up to others to unblock the waterway not relied upon by the US.<\/p>\n
After chairing the video call with counterparts and representatives from more than 40 countries, Ms Cooper told broadcasters on Thursday: \u201cWe\u2019ve taken a different view from the US from early on and we didn\u2019t get drawn into offensive action in the Middle East, because we thought that there were real concerns about escalation risks, impact \u2013 including on the economy \u2013 and also the need for a proper plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Yvette](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/013fce6f63db8aa693c0684e90b380b8.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Ms Cooper chaired a video call with counterparts and representatives from more than 40 countries (Leon Neal\/PA)<\/p>\n
(Leon Neal)<\/p>\n
She said co-ordinated action was needed as Iran\u2019s \u201creckless strikes\u201d on international shipping and efforts to \u201chijack the global economy\u201d were hitting nations \u201cfrom across the globe who played no part in this conflict\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s affecting petrol prices and mortgage rates here in the UK, but also jet fuel across the world, fertiliser to Africa, and also gas to Asia.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo countries across the world being impacted, and that\u2019s why we\u2019re so determined to see every possible diplomatic, economic and co-ordinated measure to get the strait reopened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Cooper evaded a question on whether Washington was still an ally, saying: \u201cWe want to see the conflict resolved, concluded, as rapidly as possible, because, frankly, that\u2019s what\u2019s best for the cost of living here in the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n
She continued: \u201cAnd look, our job is to take decisions in the UK national interest. That\u2019s what this Government will do, not based on any other country\u2019s priority or anything in terms of the US or other countries, but actually what\u2019s in the UK\u2019s national interest.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said the response to Iranian attacks on the maritime pinch point would include working with the International Maritime Organisation, responsible for regulating international shipping safety.<\/p>\n
Another meeting next Tuesday of military planners will consider how to \u201ckeep shipping safe for the long-term\u201d, Ms Cooper said, including looking at issues such as clearing mines that have possibly been laid by Tehran to sink ships in the sea passage.<\/p>\n
It will be convened by Britain\u2019s Permanent Joint Headquarters, based in Northwood, north-west London, but some international leaders are expected to join virtually.<\/p>\n
Mr Trump, in an address to the US people on Wednesday, said countries that rely on the strait should \u201cbuild up some delayed courage\u201d and \u201cjust grab it\u201d, and suggested that after the Iran conflict was over, the critical waterway would \u201cjust open up naturally\u201d.<\/p>\n
But Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said that unblocking the lane will \u201cnot be easy\u201d.<\/p>\n
French President Emmanuel Macron went further on Thursday, telling journalists that it was \u201cunrealistic\u201d to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force and arguing that efforts would need to include \u201cconsultation\u201d with Iran.<\/p>\n
Former national security adviser Lord Peter Ricketts echoed his remarks, saying in a post on X: \u201cThis is the reality. No-one is going to put warships escorting a slow moving convoy through the Strait in the face of Iranian opposition.<\/p>\n
\u201cErgo it has to be on the basis of negotiation, as I have been saying from the outset.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Iran could face further sanctions if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, the Foreign Secretary has signalled after…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":48859,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[38,19974,266,3673,34,19973,14774,101,69,2680],"class_list":{"0":"post-48858","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-iran","8":"tag-donald-trump","9":"tag-foreign-secretary","10":"tag-global-economy","11":"tag-international-maritime-organisation","12":"tag-iran","13":"tag-national-interest","14":"tag-peter-ricketts","15":"tag-strait-of-hormuz","16":"tag-tehran","17":"tag-yvette-cooper"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@iran\/116336555854692122","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48858\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}