UNITED KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE

London, July 15, 2026. The UK government views the situation in the Gulf as still grave, despite Donald Trump's withdrawal of his proposed 20% tax on freight passing through the Strait of Hormuz. According to reports, Keir Starmer has called for unrestricted transit through the strait and demanded an immediate end to hostilities and a return to diplomatic negotiations, even as the US launched a third consecutive night of strikes against Iran.

The initial toll plan, which Trump presented as a matter of fairness to fund the securing of the maritime route, had sparked a strong political reaction in London. The Liberal Democrats described it as state-backed robbery, economic extortion, and a blatant violation of international law. Trump ultimately abandoned the levy, opting instead for investment agreements with Gulf monarchies, just hours before the naval blockade of Iranian ports resumed, effective as of 9 pm British time on July 14.

For London, the episode highlights the instability of US policy, which oscillates between military firmness and commercial bargaining in a region through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas previously passed. The UK notes that US Central Command has claimed new strikes aimed at continuing to degrade Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the strait, while Tehran has retaliated against US facilities in Bahrain and Jordan after targeting two Emirati tankers.

Maritime traffic remains virtually at a standstill: according to data cited, only eight commercial ships crossed the strait on Sunday, compared to a daily average of 138 before the conflict. Starmer, nearing the end of his term as Prime Minister, emphasizes the need for negotiated de-escalation rather than unilateral US management of the maritime route, regardless of the form it takes – tax or blockade.