US Secretary of State Rubio and UK Foreign Secretary Miliband Reaffirm Commitment to Safeguarding Strait of Hormuz Transit

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband held a telephone call on October 12, 2026, during which they reiterated their shared commitment to safeguarding transit through the Strait of Hormuz and holding Iran accountable for its actions, according to a State Department readout reported by IANS, Anadolu Agency, The Jerusalem Post, and APA on October 13. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the two officials also discussed continued collaboration to secure US assets in the United Kingdom and emphasized the importance of the US-UK partnership in stabilizing global energy markets while pursuing a negotiated settlement to end the Russia-Ukraine war. The State Department did not announce any new restrictions, naval deployments, or operational arrangements following the conversation.

The call signals continued diplomatic coordination between Washington and London on Hormuz security as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed on October 12 to have struck three tankers in the strait over the previous 48 hours, and as the waterway remains effectively closed to most commercial traffic on Day 228 of the crisis. The readout provided no detail on what specific accountability measures the two governments are considering, leaving open whether the commitment translates into new enforcement action or remains a declaratory posture amid ongoing attacks on shipping and Saudi targets.

Sources

IANS, October 13, 2026, "US, UK discuss Iran, Hormuz security," ianslive.in Anadolu Agency, October 13, 2026, "US, UK discuss maritime security in Strait of Hormuz, resolving Russia-Ukraine war," anews.com.tr The Jerusalem Post, October 13, 2026, "Rubio, Miliband reaffirm commitment to Strait of Hormuz, Etihad cancels Saudi flights," jpost.com APA (Azerbaijan Press Agency), October 13, 2026, "Rubio, Miliband discuss Hormuz, US-UK ties," en.apa.az Wikipedia, "Ed Miliband," accessed October 13, 2026, en.wikipedia.org (confirms Ed Miliband appointed Foreign Secretary July 20, 2026 by PM Andy Burnham)