The UK ‘will not be drawn into a wider war’, the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, said during a press conference on Monday, despite pressure from Donald Trump for allies to send military ships to the strait of Hormuz. ‌The US president has called for help to reopen shipping lanes and unblock global oil supplies – but the response so far has been muted. British ministers are drawing up plans to send minesweeping drones to the strait despite concerns in Whitehall that complying with Trump’s demands could escalate the crisis. Starmer also defended his decision not to join the US-Israeli offensive saying he has stood by his principles in the British national interest. He has faced criticism, including from Trump who earlier this month said ‘this is no Winston Churchill’ in reference to Starmer. ‌Starmer has worked hard to maintain good relations with Trump. The two leaders spoke by phone on Sunday to discuss the ongoing situation in the Middle East and the importance of ending the disruption to global shipping, according to Downing Street. ‌Follow the Guardian’s live coverage at the link in bio