US and UK vow to safeguard Hormuz transit, hold Iran to account

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on Monday reiterated their shared commitment to safeguarding transit in the Strait of Hormuz and holding Iran accountable for its actions during high-level talks that also covered efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, according to the State Department.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Rubio and Miliband "reiterated their shared commitment to safeguarding transit in the Strait of Hormuz and the importance of holding Iran to account for its actions and of continued collaboration to secure US assets in the United Kingdom." The conversation followed allegations by UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham that an Iranian plot targeting RAF Fairford was "almost certainly" directed by Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an accusation Iran rejects.

International condemnation and energy markets

Twenty-nine countries including the US and UK issued a joint condemnation Monday of Iranian operations against allied territory, endorsing Britain's assessment of the air base incident. Rubio also underscored the broader strategic alliance between Washington and London, highlighting cooperation to "stabilize global energy markets while also bringing the Russia-Ukraine conflict to an end through a negotiated settlement."

The diplomatic exchange occurred as control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint that normally carries more than one-fifth of global petroleum shipments, remains a central flashpoint in the ongoing conflict with Iran. It also followed an announcement by US President Donald Trump of a deal allowing Russian diesel exports to the US and global markets.