The UK’s foreign minister Yvette Cooper has urged a “swift resolution” to Middle East war, accusing Iran of holding the global economy hostage by blocking shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, AFP reports.

“We are very clear we need to see a swift resolution to this conflict that restores regional stability,” Cooper said ahead of a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in France attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Referring to the refusal of Iran to allow vessels through the key Strait of Hormuz, she added: “Frankly, Iran cannot be able to just hold the global economy hostage as a result of a Strait which is about international shipping routes and the freedom of navigation”.