London, UK – In a pivotal speech reflecting escalating tensions in international waterways and Middle Eastern conflict zones, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is set to deliver a firm stance on Thursday against Tehran’s attempts to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz. Her remarks come in response to Iran’s announcement of its intention to impose “transit fees” on ships passing through the strait, through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies flow.
According to excerpts from her annual foreign policy speech at Mansion House in London, Cooper will emphasize that the fundamental freedoms of the sea cannot be unilaterally revoked or auctioned off by any state. The Secretary of State will stress that freedom of navigation necessarily means free and unhindered passage. She will also categorically reject the transformation of international waterways, which were officially designated as such before the recent war, into instruments of political or financial leverage. Regarding regional conflicts, London is exerting its diplomatic influence to insist on Lebanon’s inclusion in the ceasefire agreement. Cooper is expected to reiterate her call for world leaders to include Lebanon in the two-week truce brokered between Tehran and Washington in the early hours of April 7.
This British demand takes on an urgent character, coming at a highly sensitive time. On April 8, Israel launched its most extensive air and ground offensive to date against Lebanese territory. This resulted in an unprecedented escalation targeting Hezbollah positions and forces. London believes that excluding the Lebanese front from the recent understandings threatens to destabilize the fragile stability of the region and could lead to a full-blown regional war. The British position sends a dual message: first, protecting the vital artery of the global economy in the Gulf from Iranian blackmail; and second, the necessity of de-escalating the military situation on Israel’s northern front. This places the international community before its responsibilities to ensure the flow of trade and prevent Lebanon from sliding into a deeper humanitarian and military catastrophe.
