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Keir Starmer risked inflaming tensions with Donald Trump as he compared the impact of the war in Iran to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The Prime Minister said he was “fed up” that families and businesses across the UK are facing soaring energy bills because of their actions.

His remarks come after repeated verbal hostilities from the US President over Sir Keir’s dithering over whether to provide military support in the conflict. Speaking to ITV during a visit to the Gulf, he said: “I’m fed up with the fact that families across the country see their bills go up and down on energy, businesses’ bills go up and down on energy because of the actions of Putin or Trump across the world and saying to families across the country, saying to businesses across the country: “we’ve just got to be, we’ve got to put up with being on the international market”.

Sir Keir said Britain needs “energy independence” and appeared to soften his stance on drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea.

The Prime Minister also warned Israel to stop bombing Lebanon.

“That shouldn’t be happening. That should stop,” he said.

During his visit, Sir Keir said he discussed the “fragile” nature of the US-Iran ceasefire with Gulf allies and that “it takes more than just words” to make it permanent.

The Prime Minister arrived in Bahrain on Thursday afternoon as part of a trip to the region, which also included stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, amid signs the ceasefire is already under strain.

Tehran has reclosed the key oil shipping channel, the Strait of Hormuz, in response to Israeli attacks on the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.

He told broadcasters: “I think the mood is very much one of the shock that they were attacked in the first place, because of course they weren’t attacking Iran, and the intensity of some of the attacks.

“Relief that there’s now a ceasefire. I think a general sense that it’s fragile, that there’s work to do in relation to it.”

The Prime Minister earlier told Gulf allies that Iran must not “hold the Strait of Hormuz to ransom”.

The maritime pinch point has been effectively closed by the threat of Iranian attacks, causing oil and gas prices to soar, pushing up the cost at UK forecourts and raising concerns about the cost of living.

The two-week pause in fighting in President Trump’s bombing campaign hinges on the Strait reopening, but Tehran closed it again on Wednesday night.