More than 40 countries hold talks on ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz

LONDON England 

Britain accused Iran on Thursday of holding the world's economy hostage as diplomats from more than 40 countries held talks on ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route that has been choked off by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.

The U.S. is not attending the virtual meeting, which comes after President Donald Trump made clear that he thinks securing the waterway, closed as a consequence of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, is not America’s job. Trump has also disparaged America's European allies for failing to support the war and renewed his threats to pull the U.S. out of NATO.

U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the talks, which focus on political and diplomatic rather than military means, showed “the strength of our international determination" to reopen the strait.

“We have seen Iran hijack an international shipping route to hold the global economy hostage,” she said at the start of the meeting. Cooper said “unsustainable” spikes in oil and food prices were “hitting households and businesses in every corner of the world.”

In the meantime, more than three dozen countries including the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and the United Arab Emirates have signed a statement demanding Iran stop its attempts to block the strait and pledging to “contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage” through the waterway.

Cooper said the 40-plus countries at the meeting — up from the 35 announced Wednesday — discussed “diplomatic and international planning measures” to ensure the strait can reopen safely, and action to guarantee the safety of 20,000 seafarers on 2,000 ships trapped by the conflict.