'This is not our war': UK PM Keir Starmer as Iran war rages on, says this on Hormuz

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer made that clear on Wednesday that Britain will not be dragged into the Iran war — but that doesn't mean it's standing aside.

"Whatever the pressure on me and others, whatever the noise, I am going to act in the British national interest in all decisions that I make. That's why I have been absolutely clear that this is not our war, or we are not going to get dragged into it," Starmer said in a national address.

He further said that Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will host an international summit focused on one urgent goal: reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The strategically vital waterway has been effectively blocked by Iran following Israeli-US strikes — and the consequences are already being felt worldwide. Global energy prices have surged as a result of the disruption to one of the world's most critical shipping corridors.

Starmer was candid about the impact on everyday life in Britain.

"I do have to level with people, this will not be easy," he told the British public.

He made clear that strong ties with European allies aren't just diplomatic niceties — they are central to Britain's national interest as the crisis deepens.

In a message that struck a notably firm tone, Starmer said he is not prepared to ask the British people "once again, to go through a crisis, come out of it, and say 'business as usual, back to the status quo'".

He pointed to steps his government has already taken to ease the pressure on households — including capping energy bills and extending fuel duty cuts through to September.

The upcoming summit, to be hosted by Foreign Secretary Cooper, will bring together international leaders to map out a plan to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said that he was considering pulling the US out of NATO after repeated criticism of the bloc and its refusal to become involved in the raging conflict. 

In an interview with The Telegraph, Trump said the possibility of quitting NATO was now "beyond reconsideration" while describing the bloc as a "paper tiger". 

"Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration," he said when asked if he would revisit US membership. "I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way."

With global energy markets rattled and tensions running high, the pressure is on Britain — and its allies — to find a way through.