Keir Starmer
British prime minister who co-chaired the Paris Hormuz security conference with France's Macron in April 2026, building a European coalition for maritime security without US participation.
Quick Facts
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Born
- September 2, 1962
- In Power Since
- July 5, 2024
- Last Updated
- April 18, 2026
Background
Keir Starmer led the Labour Party to victory in the July 2024 general election, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. A former Director of Public Prosecutions, he brought a legal and prosecutorial approach to politics.
Role in the 2026 Iran War
Starmer co-chaired the Paris conference on Hormuz security on April 17, 2026, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. About 30 nations attended. China was invited. The United States was not.
The conference represented a European effort to establish an independent maritime security framework for the Strait of Hormuz, separate from Trump’s bilateral negotiations with Iran. Starmer pushed for a multinational naval presence to protect commercial shipping through the waterway, which handles roughly 20 percent of global oil shipments.
The Paris gathering highlighted a growing gap between Washington and European capitals over how to handle the Iran war. While Trump pursued direct talks with Tehran, Starmer and Macron built a coalition that included both European and non-Western powers.
Earlier Positions
Before the Hormuz conference, Starmer had supported NATO’s role in regional security and backed diplomatic solutions to the Iran crisis. His government approved British participation in allied air defense operations during the early weeks of the war.