Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has said Iran cannot simply impose shipping tolls on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that international law prevents Tehran from charging for passage through what she described as an “international transit route”.
The comments came as Keir Starmer continued his Gulf visit. Cooper was responding to questions about the strategic waterway, through which a significant share of global shipping travels, amid renewed concern about tensions in the region.
Her remarks were part of a broader set of interviews this morning, in which she also declined to confirm reports that a Russian warship has been escorting two sanctioned Russian ships through the English Channel.
Questions over the Russian shadow fleet
The sanctioned Russian ships are understood to be carrying oil that is being sold to help fund Russia’s war in Ukraine. Cooper said the government had recently authorised the armed forces to board such vessels in British waters in order to stop them.
She did not directly address the reported escort in the Channel, but said action had now been permitted against the Russian shadow fleet.
“What I can tell you is that we have given permission now for action to be taken against the Russian shadow fleet. Operational decisions then have to be taken in the right way by the military,” she said.
Cooper added that the issue is part of a wider pattern of Russian activity. She said there were indications not only of how the Russian shadow fleet is operating, but also of increased Russian threats “not just to the UK, but across Europe as well”.
Wider security concerns
The government’s approach reflects growing concern about maritime security, sanctions enforcement and Russia’s ability to use commercial shipping to support its war effort. The comments also highlight the pressure on the UK to respond to threats at sea while remaining within the limits of international law and military procedure.
Cooper’s intervention drew together two separate but related issues: the legal status of passage through one of the world’s key shipping lanes, and the UK’s response to Russia’s use of a so-called shadow fleet to move oil and evade sanctions.
As Starmer’s Gulf trip continues, the foreign secretary’s remarks point to the government’s attempt to project firmness on maritime security while underscoring that decisions on enforcement must be taken operationally by the military.
