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Iranian leaders face a renewed call from London to ‘fully reopen’ the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, after the breakdown of a ceasefire in the Middle East. Making a statement in the House of Commons, Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer told MPs: ‘Our priority now is ensuring unimpeded transit passage through the Strait without the threat of violence, tolls, fees or conditions.’ US forces hit around 90 targets across Iran overnight, while Tehran responded with attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar early on Thursday. Donald Trump has declared a previous ceasefire deal ‘over’, after Iran targeted three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz waterway on Tuesday. The collapse of the peace deal led to a sharp rise in oil prices earlier this week, but they were largely steady on Thursday morning. Brent crude stood at just over $78 a barrel, having jumped above $80 at one stage on Wednesday, up from $73.88 on Tuesday. Falconer said: ‘We strongly condemn the outrageous Iranian attacks on the territory or vessels of our Gulf partners Bahrain, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. ‘This is a serious escalation. Strikes into countries in the region and their waters are a clear violation of international law and must stop. ‘I have been in touch with my counterparts from all mentioned countries to express our solidarity and condemn these attacks. ‘Iran’s attacks on civilian vessels were in Omani waters. ‘The UK stands with Oman, with its sovereignty over its own territorial waters, and for the principle and the law of freedom of navigation both in the Strait and across the world.’ Falconer later added: ‘We want a durable, negotiated peace and the Strait of Hormuz to fully reopen. ‘The dangerous re-escalation over the past few days and continued attacks hurt everybody the greatest impact is, of course, felt by the poorest and the most vulnerable.’ Any deal to suspend or end the hostilities between the US and Iran ‘must deliver predictable access rather than ad hoc case-by-case transit’, the minister also said. Emily Thornberry, the Labour MP who chairs the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said: ‘I wonder if the minister might agree that at least part of the problem and the fragility of the deal is its very ambiguity.’ The Islington South & Finsbury MP described the ceasefire as ‘a deal that was negotiated in haste and at a distance and through third parties’. Falconer tapped the despatch box as he replied: ‘These strikes conducted by Iran this week were not only against land targets, they were against commercial shipping. ‘There was no ambiguity whatsoever about the location of those vessels.’ Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel accused the government of having ‘failed to offer solutions to the most serious and significant conflict the world has seen in decades, or be part of any negotiations’. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has previously signalled disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could make this year’s winter months difficult for some energy billpayers. He told reporters at the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday: ‘It is important that people are supported, particularly as we go into the winter months, but the extent of that is to be determined.’ Starmer also said: ‘If the ceasefire can be maintained, resumed and the deal can be effectively implemented, and therefore the Strait of Hormuz can be opened, that is what’s going to make a bigger difference this winter to energy bills than anything else the government is able to do.’ By Will Meakin-Durrant and Holly Williams, Press Association Press Association: News source: PA Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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