President Donald Trump spoke with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer by phone on Sunday, a conversation that touched on Iran‘s chokehold of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to a statement from Starmer’s office, the two discussed the Iran war and the “importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to end the disruption to global shipping.” Starmer also expressed his condolences for the 13 U.S. service members who have been killed in the war.
The White House did not provide its own readout for the call, and Trump has not publicly commented on the talks yet.
But they come as Trump is looking to form a coalition to assist with reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the key waterway that Iran has effectively closed.
In a statement on Saturday, Trump said “many countries” would be sending warships to the region in order “to keep the Strait open and safe,” without specifying who is part of the effort.
He did call on the United Kingdom, China, France, Japan, and South Korea specifically to join the coalition, though none have voiced support for it.
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That may be changing soon, however. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that the Trump administration is readying an announcement of such a coalition as soon as this week, citing unnamed U.S. officials.
What countries are included in the group is unknown, and the escorting of ships through the strait may not begin till after the war is over, signaling a potentially much longer disruption to global shipping and the oil trade.
