Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks to the media on the situation in the Middle East, at Downing Street in central London on March 16, 2026. AFP
During a press conference in Downing Street, Starmer told reporters he had discussed the situation in the vital oil transport route, effectively closed by Iran during the Middle East war, with US President Donald Trump.
"We're working with all of our allies, including our European partners, to bring together a viable collective plan that can restore freedom of navigation in the region as quickly as possible and ease the economic impacts," said the UK leader.
He added the intention was to make the plan "credible" and ruled out NATO involvement.
"Let me be clear, that won't be and it's never been envisioned to be a NATO mission," Starmer said.
"That'll have to be an alliance of partners, which is why we're working with partners, both in Europe, in the Gulf, and with the US," he added.
His comments came after Trump said NATO faces a "very bad" future if US allies fail to help re-open the key oil transport route.
"It's only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there," Trump said.
Starmer also insisted that while Britain was "taking the necessary action to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not be drawn into the wider war".
Extending EU naval mission
EU foreign ministers will Monday discuss extending the bloc's Red Sea naval mission to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the bloc's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said.
"It is in our interest to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, and that's why we are also discussing what we can do in this regard," Kallas told journalists heading into the Brussels talks.
An option on the table would be to change the mandate of the EU's naval mission in the Red Sea, Operation Aspides, Kallas said.
She suggested this would be the "fastest" way for the 27-member bloc to boost security in the Strait of Hormuz.
However, several capitals indicated they were cold to the idea.
"The current mandate of Operation Aspides is correct and does not require any changes," Spain's foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares said arriving at the talks.
He was echoed by Italy's Antonio Tajani who expressed scepticism about the feasibility of extending the mission's mandate, adding Italy preferred a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Germany's Johann Wadephul said Berlin wanted to first hear from Israel and the United States "when they believe they will have achieved their military objectives in Iran" before moving on to plan a "security architecture" for the region.
Launched in 2024 to prevent attacks on trade vessels by Yemen's Houthi rebel forces, Aspides currently has three warships -- one French, one Greek and one Italian.
French President Emmanuel Macron said last week that Paris and its allies were preparing a "defensive" mission to reopen the strait.
He has also pledged to increase France's contribution to Aspides, with two additional frigates "over the long term".
Kallas said a "coalition of the willing" could also be considered, without providing further details.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's spokesman said the Iran war had "nothing to do with NATO", while Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stressed there were procedures within the alliance to request support -- and they were yet to be activated.
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