Britain and its allies are likely to be involved in dealing with the aftermath of Donald Trump’s war in Iran for months, ministers and government insiders believe.
The UK and its allies are likely to have to police the Strait of Hormuz for weeks or months after the US-Israeli war with Iran is over, The i Paper understands.
And Rachel Reeves warned on Wednesday that the economic impact on the UK from the blockading of the Strait will outlast the duration of the conflict itself, including higher energy costs, inflation and damage to growth.
She also described the war as a “mistake”. “I’m not convinced that this conflict has made the world a safer place,” she said during a speech in Washington.
Summit to keep shipping safe
Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are co-hosting a summit in Paris on Friday at which they will discuss diplomatic and military efforts to free up the waterway following the conflict and keep it safe for commercial shipping.
Leaders will discuss plans to build the broadest possible group of countries to keep the strait open once the war is over.
While plans are still to be confirmed, it is understood that the operation to police the waterway and keep shipping traffic moving will need to be in place for weeks or months to ensure the safety of merchant vessels.
Downing Street revealed earlier this week that Royal Navy assets, including uncrewed vessels and drones that could take part in mine-hunting operations in the strait once the conflict ends for good, are already prepositioned in the region.
It is likely that the UK military will play a role, jointly with other nations’ forces, in policing the strait, although it could be on a rotational basis similar to Nato operations to patrol the alliance’s eastern flank in Europe.
But it comes at a time when there is growing alarm about insufficient spending on defence, with former Labour cabinet minister and ex-Nato secretary general George Robertson warning this week that the UK’s national security was “in peril”.
Bob Ainsworth, a former Labour defence secretary, told The i Paper: “I totally agree with George. I think we are dangerously ill equipped. I have heard the right things being said.
“I had expected action to have been taken equal to the urgency that the changing situation needs. I haven’t seen that.”
He is the fourth former Labour defence secretary to criticise defence spending, along with Geoff Hoon, John Hutton and Robertson. Former Tor defence secretary Malcolm Rifkind also accused the government of “shilly shallying”.
The government rejects it is being complacent and argues defence spending is rising to “record levels.”.
Impact on the economy ‘will persist’
The prospect of the UK and allies being bogged down in the aftermath of a war they did not initiate has caused dismay in government, with both the PM and Reeves expressing frustration at the impact of the conflict on ordinary British households.
It emerged as Donald Trump agreed to permanently open the Strait “for China” – in an apparent capitulation to Beijing after a standoff of several days.
In a joint statement with her international counterparts issued from the IMF meeting in Washington, Reeves and fellow finance ministers said that any further escalation of the conflict would pose “serious additional risks to global energy security, supply chains, and economic and financial stability”.
But they added: “Even with a durable resolution of the conflict, impacts on growth, inflation and markets will persist.”
The statement, signed by finance ministers of the UK, Ireland, Australia, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Spain, Norway, Poland and New Zealand, said: “We are committed to managing the economic response to and recovery from this crisis in a co-ordinated, responsible and responsive way.”
The US-Israeli strikes and Iran’s subsequent retaliation had caused “unacceptable loss of life and significant disruption to the global economy and financial markets” and they welcomed the ceasefire.
Reeves was echoing comments made by Starmer himself on Monday, when he told the Commons: “The [economic] consequences will be significant and they will last longer than the conflict itself.”
‘Vital to get freedom of navigation up and running
Ahead of the UK-French hosted summit in Paris on Friday, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The UK has convened dozens of countries with the shared aim of restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, driving forward efforts towards a viable plan.
“This is about building a broad group of countries who support that viable plan when the conflict ends.
“We are working to get the strait open again, secure freedom of navigation once a lasting ceasefire is achieved.
“It’s vital, as the Prime Minister said, that we get freedom of navigation up and running again. That’s where we have put all our efforts in the last few weeks, and that’s where our efforts are focused as we head towards the summit on Friday.”
Hence then, the article about uk to spend months clearing up trump s iran mess was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( UK to spend months clearing up Trump’s Iran mess )
Also on site :