UK calls for Lebanon in US-Iran ceasefire talks
UK calls for Lebanon’s inclusion in the US-Iran ceasefire as Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, lifting fuel and fertilizer prices.
Lauren Collins ·
London — British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Thursday that Lebanon should be included in the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, arguing that negotiations need to show progress and deliver a clear end to fighting.
Cooper made the remarks in London while addressing City leaders at Mansion House. Her call came as Israeli bombing in Lebanon intensified, with at least 254 fatalities reported, and after Iran moved to close the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers.
Her position contrasted with comments made by U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Budapest. Vance said Lebanon was not part of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal and added that Iran may have misunderstood what the agreement covered.
Cooper linked the diplomatic dispute to immediate economic pressures. She said the Strait of Hormuz closure has contributed to sharp rises in global fuel and fertilizer prices, and warned that the effects are being felt more broadly through mortgage rates, petrol costs, and food prices.
Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz was described as a response to U.S. and Israeli actions since late February. Cooper said reopening the waterway should be a priority, framing it as both an economic and humanitarian necessity given the disruption to shipping and crews.
As an initial step, Cooper proposed backing International Maritime Organization proposals aimed at moving stranded ships and seafarers. She said this should be followed by the full and unconditional reopening of the strait.
The developments place diplomacy, security, and trade flows into the same frame for governments and markets. Cooper’s comments underscored the UK’s focus on containing spillovers from the conflict, while Vance’s remarks highlighted differences over what the U.S.-Iran ceasefire is intended to cover.
Key uncertainties remain around the scope and interpretation of the ceasefire agreement and the timing and terms under which the Strait of Hormuz could reopen. Officials have also not provided further detail in these remarks on how Lebanon’s inclusion would be structured within the existing U.S.-Iran framework.