Hello from The National and welcome to the View from London – your weekly guide to the big stories from our London bureau
Strait times
The Strait of Hormuz, at the heart of Iran-US tension, must be reopened using diplomatic and defensive means, UAE Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh has told us.
The UAE is committed to "diplomacy and diplomatic efforts" to reopen the strait, Ms Nusseibeh said, but is "also committed to being assertive about the fundamental principles of freedom of navigation".
A memorandum of understanding struck mid-June between the US and Iran allowed for free passage over a 60-day negotiation period. Instead, Iran is striking vessels on the southern passages out of the Gulf and Washington has responded with air strikes.
Ms Nusseibeh called for the preliminary agreement to be urgently revived. "Iran needs to abide by that MoU, and we need to see coalitions of countries come together with demining capabilities and naval capabilities to open the strait," she said.
Gulf and European officials have been discussing alternative commercial land routes to the Hormuz Strait.
This is a "strategic conversation" for both sides. "Europe and the Gulf and different regions need to work away from choke point dependency towards resilience in supply chains, in energy routes and in market access," she said.
Also speaking exclusively to The National was Arsenio Dominguez, the secretary general of the International Maritime Organisation. The IMO has passed a resolution upholding the international law of the sea that stipulates trade across straits must be allowed to pass freely.
After Oman said last week it was looking at "exploring voluntary arrangements relating to navigational support services" in the strait, Mr Dominguez told us talks are under way.
"We can look into mechanisms that work in accordance to international law to assist the countries that manage these straits," he said. "Always in accordance to international law, there are mechanisms like this that we have around the world that IMO has established with relevant countries. There's no reason why we cannot look into those kind of measures here."
Keep sake
Meanwhile, is the UK playing the Strait of Dover card as one of the chokepoints of the new world order?
For the second time in a week – the first was at the Chatham House London Conference last Thursday – I heard Yvette Cooper bring it up. Speaking to the foreign affairs select committee on Tuesday, the British Foreign Secretary was firm in the view that the UK stood for international free passage.
“I have pointed out to some of our international colleagues that the Strait of Dover is busier than the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal put together," she said. "We make the same arguments everywhere else in the world.
"Anywhere where there are those restricted routes, where there are international shipping routes, needs to be free from tolls and open for freedom of navigation.”
Marches now
Ben Jamal, the departing head of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, says the movement has grown and achieved “active successes”. But he calls it a “horrible paradox” that this strength has not stopped the suffering in Gaza and the West Bank.
Mr Jamal stepped down this summer to care for his wife, who has early onset dementia. He is appealing against a conviction under the Public Order Act after leaving a designated protest area during a January 2025 demonstration. He says the marches have helped people to feel less isolated and kept political engagement alive.
The marches face sustained opposition and a polarised public debate. Some ministers called them “hate marches” at the start of the war.
Looking forward
Keir Starmer is chairing one last cabinet meeting on Wednesday and has his final question time. Tony Blair lasted 10 years in the job to Mr Starmer's two. His advice? Dispensed this week, it was: don't look back in anger.
Talking of his time working with Andy Burnham, Labour's incoming leader, Mr Blair praised the former junior minister as a colleague. He pointed out that Mr Burnham's great strength was liking people. You'd be surprised how many politicians have an abstract interest in people as a whole but not for individuals, he added.
Mr Burnham and Mr Starmer united on Tuesday to mark the passage of the Hillsborough Act, which forces officials to be honest during inquiries into tragedies such as the deaths of the 97 football fans at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
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