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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that the United Kingdom and France will host a summit of more than 40 countries to tackle the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz and restore global shipping.
The Minister disclosed this in a post on X on Monday, April 13, 2026, noting that the disruption to the strait has a significant impact on global supply chains and the cost of living.
Starmer stated that the summit will focus on building a coordinated multinational response to restore the free flow of shipping once the conflict declines. “The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz is deeply damaging. Getting global shipping moving is vital to ease cost of living pressures,” he said.
The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz is deeply damaging. Getting global shipping moving is vital to ease cost of living pressures.
The UK has convened more than 40 nations who share our aim to restore freedom of navigation.
This week the UK and France will co-host a…
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) April 13, 2026
He added that the UK has already secured international support for the initiative. “The UK has convened more than 40 nations who share our aim to restore freedom of navigation,” Starmer noted.
According to the Prime Minister, the meeting will serve as a platform to develop a joint framework for safeguarding international shipping routes. “This week, the UK and France will co-host a summit to advance work on a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping when the conflict ends,” he said.
The planned summit follows a list of negotiations between the United States and Iran, which have failed to produce a definite agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz or resolving tensions linked to Tehran’s nuclear programme.
The prolonged closure has raised concerns across global markets, disrupting energy supplies and international trade flows. The summit aims to identify practical measures, including coordinated naval presence, policy alignment and contingency planning to prevent further disruptions.
