Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has asked the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow stretch of water between Iran and Oman that is one of the world's most important routes for shipping oil. He said free passage through it was 'essential to ease cost-of-living pressures on British families'. The comments came ahead of his first one-to-one meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. BBC News

The two men first met at a foreign ministers' summit in the Philippines, where Miliband made his debut as foreign secretary. Rubio invited him to Washington after that encounter. BBC News

The meeting matters politically on both sides of the Atlantic. The White House was reported to be unhappy about Prime Minister Andy Burnham's decision to give Miliband the Foreign Office job, because Miliband previously called Donald Trump a racist and a misogynist. US Ambassador to the UK Warren Stephens said Miliband had been 'wrong' in 2016 to call Trump 'a racist, misogynistic self-confessed groper'. BBC News

The Strait of Hormuz was open before the US and Israel launched a war in February. Since then, disruption to shipping through the Strait has pushed up fuel and food prices, connecting a Middle Eastern conflict directly to household budgets in the UK and beyond. BBC News

Reuters reported that Iran had halted most traffic through the Strait, while Washington maintained a blockade of Iran-related shipping and ports. On May 25, 2026, Rubio told reporters that resolving the war depended on the Strait of Hormuz and that the US would find another way if talks with Iran failed. The next day, Rubio said the Strait 'has to be open one way or the other', referring to US strikes on Iran the previous day. Reuters Reuters Reuters

Rubio has also said that progress had been made in talks with Iran and Oman on getting more ships through the Strait. The status of those discussions remains uncertain. Reuters

As well as meeting Rubio, Miliband planned to meet World Bank President Ajay Banga during his Washington visit. They were due to discuss development, climate change and strengthening global resilience. Miliband was also due to take the UK's seat on the World Bank board. BBC News

The broader picture is a test of whether the close working relationship between Britain and America can function when the people involved have a history of not trusting each other. Miliband chose to focus on the Strait of Hormuz rather than trade or defence spending. That is a deliberate choice: it links a foreign-policy request to the cost of living, the area where a British government has the best chance of persuading a White House focused on deals that cooperation is worth it.

Rubio's language on Hormuz has been consistent since May. His phrase 'one way or the other' suggests he is prepared to use force to keep the waterway open, which fits with the US strikes in late May. Whether Miliband, whose party supporters tend to be wary of military action, can agree to that stance without hesitation is one of the questions the visit raises. The fact that Stephens publicly criticised Miliband's past remarks about Trump suggests the US embassy in London is not prepared to let the matter drop quietly.

The economic stakes are real. Disruption through Hormuz has already pushed up fuel and food prices. If the Strait stays largely closed, prices could keep rising, which would affect the Treasury's budget calculations and the cost of the government's domestic programme. Miliband's argument to Rubio is likely to be that reopening the Strait is an economic necessity for both countries, not just a security goal.

The war that began in February shows no clear sign of ending. The status of US-Iran talks is uncertain. Oman has been acting as a mediator. Rubio has hinted at progress on shipping, but the waterway is still largely shut. Miliband arrives in Washington with limited but real leverage. The UK has a seat on the World Bank board, a voice in international institutions, and a diplomatic network that can support US goals. Whether that is enough to change the situation on Hormuz, or simply to show that the relationship works despite personal tensions, is the question this visit will answer.