British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband held his first one-on-one meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz dominating talks as Miliband called its reopening essential to lowering UK living costs. The waterway has been blocked since the US and Israel launched the Iran war in February, driving up fuel and food prices.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to safe transit through the strait and to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, while also discussing Europe taking a greater role in its own security. Miliband said the UK was working to secure a lasting ceasefire in the Iran conflict and raised the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Separately, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv to discuss co-producing weaponry and shielding cities from Russian ballistic strikes. Miliband is also scheduled to meet World Bank President Ajay Banga to discuss development and climate resilience.