Trump threat to Iranian civilians 'wrong', Starmer says

Donald Trump's threat that a "whole civilisation" would die unless Iran agreed to end the war was "wrong", Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The prime minister told MPs he would not have used the same words as the US president did last week before a two-week ceasefire was agreed.

In a Commons statement, he said the UK would "continue to stay out of the war" and was focused on reopening the vital shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz.

Hours after Trump made the threat, on Tuesday, 7 April, the US and Iran agreed to a conditional two-week ceasefire.

However, Israel has continued to bomb Lebanon, while Iran is still restricting access to the Strait of Hormuz.

After weekend peace talks between the US and Iran ended without a deal, Trump said the US would start blockading all ships trying to enter or leave the strait.

In a post on his Truth Social platform earlier on Monday, the president warned Iranian naval ships approaching the US blockade would be "immediately eliminated".

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said that while Trump did not follow through on his threat against Iran, "these words are a stark reminder of how reckless, immoral, and completely outside the bounds of international law this president is".

He added that Trump's plan to blockade the Strait of Hormuz "will only escalate this crisis and jeopardise the precarious ceasefire".

In response, Sir Keir said: "In relation to the language about destroying a civilisation... that was wrong. A threat to Iranian civilians in that way is wrong.

"These are civilians, let's remember, who have suffered immeasurable harm by the regime in Iran for many, many long years.

"And that's why they are words and phrases that I would never use on behalf of this government, which is guided by our principles and our values throughout all of this."

Meanwhile, Sir Keir said the UK and France would host a summit focused on diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as well as military planning to provide assurance to shipping when the situation was stable again.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the move but said "we will need to go further than just talking".

She called on the government to publish its long-delayed defence investment plan, as well as give the go-ahead to drilling of oil and gas in the North Sea so the UK is less vulnerable to energy price shocks.

Around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran effectively cutting off the waterway since US-Israeli strikes began on 28 February.

While Iran has selectively let through some vessels, the US blockade is aimed at preventing Tehran from benefitting from tolls levied on ships passing through and the revenues from oil exports.

The conflict has led to a surge in the price of oil, leading to increased energy prices around the world.