Yvette Cooper blasts Iran at crunch assembly of 40 international locations to reopen Strait of Hormuz
The Foreign Secretary is gathering 35 countries for a virtual meeting after Keir Starmer tasked her with assessing ‘all viable diplomatic and political measures’ to restore access to the vital shipping route
The Foreign Secretary is gathering 35 countries for a virtual meeting(Image: Getty Images)
Yvette Cooper has condemned Iran’s recklessness as she holds crunch talks with dozens of nations to pile pressure on Tehran to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz.
The Foreign Secretary is gathering over 40 countries for a virtual meeting after Keir Starmer tasked her with assessing “all viable diplomatic and political measures” to restore access to the vital shipping route.
Tehran’s effective blockade of the Strait – in retaliation to US and Israeli bombs and missiles – has sent global oil prices surging and raised fears of shortages.
Speaking at the start of the meeting, the Foreign Secretary said: “We have foreign ministers and representatives from over 40 countries today to discuss the Strait of Hormuz, the impact of the closure, the urgent need to restore freedom of navigation for international shipping, and the strength of our international determination to see the Strait reopen once more.
“In the last 24 hours, five vessels pass through the Strait, which is an international shipping route that would normally see 150 vessels a day.
“There have been over 25 attacks on vessels in the Strait, and there are some 20,000 tracked seafarers on some 2,000 trapped ships.”
Ms Cooper added: “We have seen Iran hijack an international shipping route to hold the global economy hostage. This is hitting the trading routes for Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi, Oman, Iraq, but that means liquid natural gas for Asia, fertiliser for Africa, and jet fuel for the world.
“That Iranian recklessness towards countries who were never involved in this conflict, which we and 130 countries across the world have strongly condemned at the United Nations, is not just hitting mortgage rates and petrol prices and the cost of living here in the UK and in many different countries across the world, it is hitting our global economic security.”
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