Ed Miliband is urging the U.S. to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying the route is vital to easing cost-of-living pressure.
Ed Miliband is pushing the United States to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz as he heads to Washington for his first one-to-one meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The UK foreign secretary said restoring free passage through the Gulf route is central to efforts to reduce pressure on British households.
Miliband said the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is “essential to ease cost-of-living pressures on British families.” The sea lane has been a major flashpoint in the Middle East conflict, and disruption to trade has pushed up fuel and food prices. He is also expected to press Rubio on the war in Ukraine and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The meeting follows the pair’s earlier contact on the sidelines of a foreign ministers’ summit in the Philippines, where Miliband made his debut as foreign secretary. Rubio then invited him to Washington. The visit gives the two men their most direct exchange so far, and it comes with extra political weight because of the strained history surrounding Miliband’s past criticism of Donald Trump.
That history has not disappeared. The White House was reported to have concerns about Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s decision to give Miliband the Foreign Office brief, after Miliband previously described Trump in harsh terms. The new U.S. administration’s views on energy also add another layer to the encounter. Trump opposes wind farms and favors opening more North Sea oil and using fossil fuels, while Miliband previously championed net zero and renewables in his role as UK energy secretary.
“Ed Miliband is urging the U.S. to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying the route is vital to easing cost-of-living pressure.”
Burnham has already signaled a shift in North Sea oil policy, a move that drew praise from the Oval Office. Even so, the relationship between Miliband and Rubio will be watched closely in London and Washington, especially as both sides try to keep wider cooperation on track despite clear differences over energy and the president himself.
The diplomatic backdrop is already charged. Last month, Washington’s top diplomat in London, Warren Stephens, said Miliband had been wrong in 2016 to call Trump “a racist, misogynistic self-confessed groper,” adding that he hoped his views had changed. Against that setting, the Strait of Hormuz talks are only part of a broader effort to keep the U.S.-UK alliance steady while navigating sharp disagreements.
Miliband said the government remains committed to the alliance and will use the meeting to discuss the route through the Gulf, a possible ceasefire, support for Ukraine, and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. He is also due to take the UK’s seat on the World Bank board during the trip and meet its president, Ajay Banga, to talk about development, climate change and global resilience. For Americans, the talks matter because they touch energy prices, war diplomacy and one of Washington’s most important partnerships.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Ed Miliband pressing for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen?
He says free passage through the Gulf waterway is essential to ease cost-of-living pressures on British families.
Who is Miliband meeting in Washington?
He is holding his first one-to-one meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
What else will the talks cover?
Miliband said they will also address the war in Ukraine, the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and a possible lasting ceasefire.
Why is the meeting politically sensitive?
The White House had been reported to have concerns about Miliband’s past criticism of Donald Trump, and the two men also differ on energy policy.
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