LONDON (Reuters/AFP) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump discussed the urgent need to get shipping moving again in the Strait of Hormuz during a call on Sunday, a Downing Street spokesperson said.
"The leaders discussed the urgent need to get shipping moving again in the Strait of Hormuz, given the severe consequences for the global economy and cost of living for people in the UK and globally," the spokesperson for Starmer's office said in a statement.
"The prime minister shared the latest progress on his joint initiative with President (Emmanuel) Macron to restore freedom of navigation," the spokesperson added.
Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired a meeting of allies to consider sending a multinational force to ensure security and free-flowing trade in the Strait of Hormuz once the current conflict between Iran and the US and Israel ends.
Iran imposed the blockade on the critical shipping bottleneck as soon as the US and Israel launched the war against the Islamic republic on February 28, leading to a surge in global energy prices.
Even with a shaky ceasefire in place, the US is now imposing its own blockade on Iranian ports.
European leaders are now worried that if the blockade continues, consumers will feel the effects through higher inflation, food shortages and flight cancellations as jet fuel runs out.