Starmer to Host 35‑Nation Hormuz Talks, US Excluded
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- Keir Starmer announced that Britain will host talks with 35 nations, excluding the US, to discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz through diplomatic means.
- Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed to “enemies of this nation” and asserted it remains firmly under Iranian control.
- Donald Trump lambasted European allies for refusing to join his war against Iran, called them “cowards,” and suggested the United States might withdraw from NATO, calling the alliance a “paper tiger.”
- France, Italy and Spain have each barred US warplanes from their airspace or bases, with Spain explicitly prohibiting US aircraft involved in the Iran conflict from using its airspace.
- Marco Rubio warned that if NATO cannot provide base access for US defense interests, the alliance could become a “one‑way street,” prompting a re‑examination of NATO’s value.
- Zack Polanski, UK Green Party leader, urged Prime Minister Starmer to end British involvement in the Iran war and cancel King Charles III’s planned state visit to the United States.
- Keir Starmer reaffirmed the UK’s full commitment to NATO, describing the alliance as “the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen.”
Why it matters: The summit gives European and Asian shipping interests a diplomatic avenue to restore Hormuz navigation without US military backing, while Iran retains its claim to control the waterway; meanwhile, Trump’s anti‑NATO rhetoric strains US‑European security ties and could complicate future coalition actions.
