With Donald Trump’s threat that ‘a whole civilization will die… never to be brought back again’ looming on Tuesday night, a temporary two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran was agreed. The arrangement, mediated by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is fragile, but showed who the leading players in the current conflict are.

Starmer seems to have created an image of himself as an influential but essential eirenic figure on the world stage, a diplomatic heavyweight with invaluable convening power

Starmer seems to have created an image of himself as an influential but essential eirenic figure on the world stage, a diplomatic heavyweight with invaluable convening power

Sir Keir Starmer, by contrast, appeared to be confused about his own role in the conflict. On 1 April – perhaps an unfortunate date – the Prime Minister gave a press conference at Downing Street, in which he said:

‘Let me say once again: this is not our war. We will not be drawn into the conflict. That is not in our national interest.’

Only a day after his statement, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper convened a conference call of more than 40 nations from every continent as well as representatives of international organisations like the European Union and the International Maritime Organisation. The meeting discussed how to achieve ‘the immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait and respect for the fundamental principles of freedom of navigation and the law of the sea.’

The Prime Minister and his colleagues were not wrong to regard the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a very serious development, with a direct and adverse effect........

© The Spectator