Carney, Starmer share ‘deep concern’ over Iran war as conflict disrupts shipping routes

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Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed during a meeting in London on Monday that safe passage must be restored through the Strait of Hormuz.

Their discussion came after U.S. President Donald Trump issued a public demand for other countries to send warships to keep the strait open.

“It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there. If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO,” Trump said in an interview with the Financial Times.

About one-fifth of the world’s oil normally ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea via the Gulf of Oman.

Iran has been attacking ships passing through the strait since the U.S. and Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran at the end of February. Iran also has said it will allow passage of some ships as long as they don’t belong to the U.S. or its allies.

The war has driven up the global price of oil, which is expected to lead to higher inflation, adding to the affordability crisis in Canada and the U.S.

Carney and Starmer met at 10 Downing Street Monday morning.

A readout of the meeting from Carney’s office mentioned only that the two leaders discussed the “situation in the Middle East” and condemned Iran’s missile and drone attacks on civilians and energy infrastructure.

A readout from Downing Street said the two leaders agreed on “the need for stability and the protection of international shipping routes.”

Bill Blair, Canada’s high commissioner to the U.K., said ahead of the meeting that Canada supports efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon but is not getting directly involved in the conflict. The U.K. is considering sending naval assets to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“I think it’s very important that the two prime ministers have an opportunity to discuss each of our collective approaches,” Blair told reporters late Sunday.

Trump has called on countries affected by the disruption in the strait, specifically the U.K., China, France, Japan and South Korea, to send ships and other military assets to help reopen it.

Starmer told a news conference following his meeting with Carney on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz must be reopened but it will not be a “simple task.” He added the U.K. is working with its allies, including European partners, to come up with a viable plan to reopen the strait “as quickly as possible.”

He said he discussed this plan with Trump on Sunday.

The Australian government says it won’t send a warship to keep the strait open to international shipping.

Australia’s Transport Minister Catherine King told Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Monday she was not aware of Australia receiving such a request from the United States.

“We won’t be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz. We know how incredibly important that is, but that’s not something that we’ve been asked or that we’re contributing to,” King said.

At the beginning of Monday’s meeting, Starmer wished Carney a happy 61st birthday, which he was celebrating on Monday.

The leaders commended each other over their support for Ukraine in its war against Russia and discussed the importance of applying their shared values to other global issues.

“It was about a year ago today, I’d just been sworn in as prime minister and came here. And we agreed to work closely on a number of international issues and also to tighten our bilateral ties,” Carney said. “Now, of course, the number of issues has multiplied.”

“I think the opportunity we’ve got to put together our values, our principles, and apply them to a very volatile world is really important this morning,” Starmer said.

Later Monday, Carney met with King Charles at Buckingham Palace. The Prime Minister’s Office has not yet provided an official readout of the meeting.

Carney has said that during his vacation, he will be in close contact with his staff as volatility in the Middle East continues.

The prime minister is expected to return to Ottawa on March 22.

With files from The Associated Press

David Baxter, The Canadian Press