Key Developments
On 9 April 2026, the UK Foreign Secretary underscored protecting navigation in the Strait of Hormuz during a Mansion House address, according to HM Government. On 10 April 2026, MEPs questioned the EU’s direct diplomacy with Iran on critical raw materials routes, the European Parliament showed, while the European Commission opened a 4-week ACER evaluation.
Key Statistics
- 20,000 seafarers reported stranded due to regional shipping disruption, according to HM Government
- 40 countries involved in a UK-led meeting on the Strait of Hormuz, per HM Government (historical)
- 10% of EU strategic imports reliant on the Strait of Hormuz, the European Parliament noted
- 4-week call for evidence launched to evaluate ACER, the European Commission said
- 50% steel import tariff plan questioned by MEPs for policy coherence, per the European Parliament
Main Body
On 9 April 2026, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper used the Mansion House address to set out the UK’s foreign policy posture amid regional conflict, emphasizing the need to maintain freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and to proceed with a calm, independent approach grounded in UK interests and values, according to HM Government. The speech referenced disruption to global shipping and humanitarian impact on crews. On 10 April 2026, members of the European Parliament submitted a written question pressing the EU to engage Iran directly to safeguard critical raw materials transiting the Strait, citing the strategic importance of those flows, the European Parliament documented. In parallel, another written question challenged the coherence of the EU’s planned 50 percent steel import tariff and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism for businesses, the European Parliament recorded. The same day, the European Commission launched a 4‑week call for evidence to evaluate the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, aiming to assess ACER’s performance in the internal energy market.
Operationally, the UK framed navigation through Hormuz as a priority, pointing to the impact on seafarers and trade. The Foreign Secretary’s address noted that around 20,000 seafarers had been stranded by regional shipping disruption, according to HM Government. The EU dimension focused on supply security: the Parliament’s question on Iran underlined that at least 10 percent of the EU’s strategic imports relied on the Strait and asked about European External Action Service engagement and coordination with member states to mitigate economic fallout, the European Parliament said. Economic policy instruments were also under scrutiny, with MEPs querying the planned 50 percent steel tariff and interactions with CBAM obligations for companies, the European Parliament noted. Separately, the European Commission said its ACER evaluation would gather stakeholder input on the agency’s effectiveness in supporting market oversight and cross-border coordination.
The latest moves sat within an ongoing policy track. On 2 April 2026, the UK chaired a meeting with more than 40 countries on the Strait of Hormuz, discussing diplomatic and economic options to restore navigation and reduce risks to global trade and energy supplies, according to HM Government. EU lawmakers had already raised energy affordability and security concerns linked to the regional conflict. A 1 April 2026 question sought swift EU measures to bring down energy prices and strengthen energy union tools, the European Parliament recorded. On 9 April 2026, another question asked whether consumer protection measures used during the pandemic would be reconsidered in response to war-related energy price pressures, the European Parliament added. At the member state level, France discussed industrial competitiveness and European economic security with the Commission’s executive vice-president on 30 March 2026, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs reported.
The focus on Hormuz matters for both security and economic resilience. The UK and EU actions addressed immediate maritime risks and sought to shield supply chains, with the UK highlighting threats to global trade and energy from the closure of the Strait and the EU noting reliance of strategic imports on this route, according to HM Government and the European Parliament. Evaluating ACER could inform internal market oversight as energy flows remain vulnerable, the European Commission indicated. The policy debate over tariffs and CBAM underscored the challenge of aligning trade, decarbonisation, and competitiveness during supply shocks, the European Parliament showed. These steps played out amid analysis that regional instability is elevating Turkey’s strategic role for the EU, with proposals to deepen practical security cooperation and mediation efforts, as ECFR reported.
