U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the United States would use Iran’s 10-point plan — which calls for it to collect a toll of $2 million per ship — as a basis for a permanent ceasefire.
The U.S. president has not argued against Iran collecting tolls, and publicly mused that the U.S. could form a “joint venture” on the operation.
In a speech Thursday evening, the U.K. foreign secretary will reiterate her call for the Strait to be reopened, arguing freedom of the seas “must not be unilaterally withdrawn or sold off to individual bidders. Nor can there be any place for tolls on an international waterway.”
Cooper told the BBC the freedom of the seas is a “principle that applies right across the globe, and it’s crucial for the cost of living back here at home. It’s crucial for the global economy.”
In a separate interview Thursday morning, she criticized Trump’s use of language in the conflict. “The rhetoric that we’ve seen used … has been completely wrong. I think that sort of escalatory rhetoric can have escalatory consequences,” she told Sky News.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is on a visit to the Middle East as Britain pushes for Lebanon to be included in the ceasefire — despite Israel conducting heavy strikes on the region.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh accused Israel of a “grave violation” of the ceasefire in a BBC interview Thursday morning. He would not confirm whether Iran would pull out of negotiations.
“We are very much focusing on the wellbeing of the whole Middle East,” Khatibzadeh said, adding Iran is “focused on getting this done” as it’s “within our national interests.”