UK joins five nations in joint statement condemning Iranian attacks on oil fields

An explosion near Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran (Picture: by Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)

Keir Starmer has condemned ‘in the strongest terms’ Iran’s attacks on oil and gas infrastructure and shipping as energy prices spike.

Iranian strikes caused ‘extensive damage’ to an energy complex in Qatar,after they were launched in retaliation to earlier Israeli attacks on Iran’s South Pars gas field.

The incident led to a jump in oil prices to more than $119 a barrel.

In a joint statement with the leaders of France,Germany,Italy,the Netherlands and Japan,the Prime Minister called for de-escalation.

The statement said: ‘We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf,attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations,and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces.

‘We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict.

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Metro's senior politics reporter Craig Munro breaks down all the chaos into easy to follow insight,in Metro's politics newsletter Alright,Gov? Sent every Wednesday. Sign up here.‘We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats,laying of mines,drone and missile attacks,and other attempts to block the strait to commercial shipping,and to comply with UN Security Council resolution 2817.’The resolution,adopted on March 11,condemned Iran’s ‘egregious attacks’ against neighbouring countries as the regime lashed out following missile strikes by the US and Israel.It was backed by 13 of the 15 members of the UN Security Council,with Russia and China abstaining.Keir Starmer has said he wants to keep the UK out of the ‘wider war’ (Picture: EPA)Today’s joint statement continued: ‘We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the strait.‘We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning.’Several world leaders – including Starmer – have attracted the ire of US President Donald Trump for their refusal to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz.The Prime Minister said on Monday that he would not allow the UK to be ‘drawn into the wider war’ but was in discussions with other countries about a ‘credible,viable plan’ to reopen the vital strait.British military planners have been sent to Florida to assist in planning a route towards unblocking the waterway,according to the Times.Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at . Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.For more stories like this,check our news page.