Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is essential to bringing down the cost of living in the UK, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has said as he met his US counterpart Marco Rubio.
The Labour minister is in Washington for his first official one-on-one meeting with Rubio.
The pair were expected to discuss the war in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Miliband was invited to the US capital by Rubio after they met on the sidelines of a foreign ministers’ summit in the Philippines, where the former Labour leader made his debut as foreign secretary.
The White House was reported to be concerned about Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s decision to hand Miliband the Foreign Office brief, given his previous criticism of US President Donald Trump as a racist and a misogynist.
When asked by the BBC if the comments would hinder his working relationship with the Trump administration, Miliband said they would not and had not been mentioned during a 90-minute meeting.
Miliband said the “productive” discussion had focused on Iran, support for Ukraine, and “how we can work towards relieving the terrible suffering we are seeing in Gaza and have a two-state solution for the security of the Israeli and Palestinian people”.
Trump is also a trenchant opponent of wind farms and supports the opening up North Sea oil and use of fossil fuels, whereas in his former role as UK energy secretary, Miliband championed net zero and renewables.
Burnham has signalled a shift in North Sea oil policy, earning praise from the Oval Office, but the dynamic between Miliband and Rubio was set to be closely watched.
Last month, Washington’s top diplomat in London, Warren Stephens, said Miliband had been “wrong” in 2016 to call Trump “a racist, misogynistic self-confessed groper” and added “hopefully his views have changed”.
Following their meeting, US state department spokesman Tommy Pigott said: “The two discussed the importance of Europe taking on a greater role in its own security.
“They reiterated their shared commitment to safe transit in the Strait of Hormuz and ensuring Iran never develops or obtains a nuclear weapon.”
In a statement after the meeting, Miliband thanked Rubio for a “warm, productive meeting” and said he was “hopeful” that the Strait may be re-opened.
“The number one priority for this government is to tackle the cost of living crisis that people are facing and my job as foreign secretary most immediately is to work with our closest ally the United States on getting a lasting ceasefire in relation to the Iran war.
“We are working night and day to make that happen – that was a large part of our discussions today – I am hopeful that this may happen, but we are not there yet.”
He added: “People should be in no doubt, I know as foreign secretary that the British people are worried about what’s happened to petrol prices, diesel prices, energy bills, and the single biggest thing we can do is get that ceasefire in relation to Iran.”
The strategic sea route, which had been open before the US and Israel launched the war in February, has been a flashpoint in the Middle East conflict and disruption to trade has driven up fuel and food prices.
Miliband added: “We also discussed standing together with Ukraine in the face of Putin’s war, and spoke about the intolerable situation in Gaza and the urgent need to address the humanitarian situation there, as we work towards a lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis.”
