British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain would not be drawn into a wider war in Iran but would work with allies, including ​those in Europe, to reopen the key Strait of Hormuz, although ​he acknowledged that it would not be easy.

Starmer, who has faced ⁠pressure from critics at home and from US President Donald Trump over what ​support to provide for the strikes on Iran, said reopening a waterway that ​is vital for oil and liquefied natural gas was key to stabilising energy markets.

He also set out the first financial support as a result of the conflict, a 53-million-pound ($70.30 million) ​package for the most vulnerable households that rely on heating oil, an energy ​source that has spiked after the launch of the conflict.

Trump said at the weekend that ‌he ⁠wanted allies, including China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and others, to send ships to the area to keep the Strait open and safe.

Starmer told a press conference on Monday that ultimately the Strait of Hormuz had to be reopened ​to “ensure stability in ​the (oil) market”. But ⁠he added: “That is not a simple task”.

“So we’re working with all of our allies, including our European partners, to bring ​together a viable collective plan that can restore freedom ​of navigation ⁠in the region as quickly as possible and ease the economic impact.”

About a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the strait, a narrow ⁠passage ​of water between Iran and Oman. Tehran’s ability ​to stop shipping through the channel could give it enormous leverage over the US and its ​allies.