Miliband urges US to reopen Strait of Hormuz ahead of first one-to-one talks with Rubio
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has called on the United States to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz as he travels to Washington for his first official one-to-one meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He said free passage through the Gulf waterway was essential to ease cost-of-living pressures on British families. The talks are also expected to cover the war in Ukraine and what Miliband described as the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
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Miliband said he was looking forward to his second meeting with Rubio, after the pair first met on the sidelines of a foreign ministers' summit in the Philippines. He said the government remained committed to nurturing what he called the strong, enduring and essential alliance with the United States. The meeting comes after a period of scrutiny over the new foreign secretary's relationship with Washington, following earlier criticism of Donald Trump and reported concern in the White House over his appointment.
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic sea route that has been a flashpoint in the Middle East conflict, with disruption to trade helping to drive up fuel and food prices. Miliband said the ongoing work to reopen the waterway was linked to efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire. He also said the wider discussions would include support for Ukraine against Russia's war and the need to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The issue has broader economic significance because the route is a major passage for global energy shipments. Any restriction on shipping can quickly affect markets and add pressure to household bills, which is why British officials are presenting the matter as both a security and a cost-of-living concern. The timing of the talks also underlines the importance of coordination between London and Washington on Middle East security, Ukraine and humanitarian access.
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The meeting follows a diplomatic exchange that began in the Philippines, where Rubio invited Miliband to Washington after their first encounter. It also comes against the backdrop of differing political views between the two men and earlier comments from Washington's top diplomat in London, Warren Stephens, who said Miliband had been wrong in 2016 to describe Trump in highly critical terms. Those tensions have not prevented the new foreign secretary from stressing the value of the bilateral relationship.
What remains unclear is whether the talks will produce any immediate change in the status of the Strait of Hormuz or in the wider ceasefire discussions Miliband referenced. It is also not yet known what specific commitments, if any, will emerge on Ukraine or Gaza. The outcome of the meeting will be watched closely for signs of how the new UK foreign policy team intends to manage relations with Washington on several overlapping crises.
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