UK Starmer Calls on Trump to Stand by NATO
The remarks came as Starmer wrapped up a three-day Middle East tour, during which talks with Gulf heads of state were heavily shaped by a fragile regional ceasefire and mounting anxiety over the future of critical maritime corridors, including the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking in a recorded pooled television interview in Qatar, Starmer confirmed he had spoken with Trump by phone Thursday evening, though he appeared to sidestep the question of whether he had revisited his recent public frustration — namely, that he was "fed up" with the president's role in driving up UK energy costs.
Rather, he said the conversation centered on what he characterized as the need for a "practical plan" to reopen the strait. When pressed on whether he had aired those grievances during the call, Starmer declined to answer directly, noting only that they had devoted "most of the time on the call talking about the practical plan."
Hormuz at the Heart of Gulf Diplomacy
Starmer indicated that Gulf leaders had made clear they expected to play a central role in shaping any durable regional settlement. He said he had conveyed to Trump a "very strong sense there can't be tolling or restrictions" on the Strait of Hormuz — a message, he suggested, that had come through unambiguously from every capital he visited.
His engagements spanned Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar, and he said discussions pivoted rapidly toward the ceasefire in each meeting.
"Discussion moved very quickly to the ceasefire, a sense that it's fragile, that more work is needed, that the Strait of Hormuz has to be part of the solution, a very strong sense that there can't be tolling or restrictions on that navigation," he said.
'A Generation-Defining Conflict'
Starmer framed the tour as strategically vital for Britain, emphasizing both its alliance obligations and its national interests in the region.
"So it's very important we do that together. It's a big opportunity as well for the United Kingdom. So it has been important that we've been here," he said.
He described the overriding sentiment from regional leaders as one of gratitude for British solidarity at a pivotal moment.
"The overarching impression here is the importance, as they see it, of us standing with them as an ally, as a friend of theirs at a point of need," he said.
"And there's been reflection on the work that we've done with them over the last six to seven weeks, on collective self-defence. Here in Qatar, we've got a joint squadron, so a real sense of 'here we are as an ally, standing with our allies when it matters most to them'," he added.
The Prime Minister also issued a sobering assessment of the conflict's long-term ramifications.
"There's a sense here, as there is of the UK, that this conflict is going to define us for a generation, and we must respond and we will respond with strength," he said.
Escalating Regional Context
The backdrop to Starmer's diplomatic circuit is one of deepening instability. The conflict ignited on Feb. 28, when US and Israeli forces launched a joint offensive against Iran, killing more than 3,000 people — among them then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Tehran has since responded with waves of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf states hosting US military assets. Iran has also moved to restrict naval passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump announced a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday, stating that Iran had put forward a "workable" 10-point proposal. Negotiations are ongoing to determine whether a more permanent agreement can be secured.
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