LONDON: Britain’s finance minister Rachel Reeves said on Tuesday she was “very frustrated and angry” over what she described as the United States’ lack of a clear strategy in the war with Iran, warning that the conflict was fuelling global economic instability.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror newspaper, Reeves criticised Washington for entering the conflict without defined objectives or an exit plan.
“This is a war that we did not start. It was a war that we did not want,” she said.
“I feel very frustrated and angry that the US went into this war without a clear exit plan, without a clear idea of what they were trying to achieve.”
She added that the situation had worsened with the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy route.
Reeves’ remarks come as she prepares to travel to Washington for meetings of the International Monetary Fund, where the economic impact of the conflict is expected to dominate discussions.
The war, which began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran, has pushed up global energy prices and complicated the British government’s efforts to tackle inflation and reduce borrowing costs.
Fuel prices in the UK have risen sharply since the conflict began, increasing by around 19 percent for petrol and 34 percent for diesel, according to official data cited in reports.
Reeves said she would urge global leaders to take “coordinated economic action” to stabilise markets and strengthen energy security.
She warned that the consequences were being felt by households not only in Britain but also in the United States and globally.
On Monday, Starmer told parliament that Trump had been “wrong” to threaten to destroy Iran’s civilisation and stressed that Britain would not support a US-led blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
“We are not supporting the blockade,” Starmer told the BBC, adding that the UK “is not getting dragged in” to the conflict.
He emphasised the importance of reopening the waterway, through which around 20 percent of global oil supplies pass during peacetime.
“It is vital that we get the strait open and fully open,” he said.
Other US allies have also voiced concern over the blockade plans.
Spain’s defence minister Margarita Robles said the move “makes no sense”, calling it part of a “downward spiral”.
Turkiye urged the reopening of the strait and called for renewed negotiations with Iran. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said diplomacy should be prioritised.
China also stressed the importance of keeping the route open, with foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun warning that maintaining stability in the strait was in the global interest.
