Wes Streeting reaches out to Pentagon chief in bid to repair UK-US relationship

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has reached out to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth in a bid to repair transatlantic ties and coordinate a response to Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The two defence chiefs held what sources described as a productive conversation this week, with Mr Streeting proposing a major London summit bringing together Nato allies, defence ministers and senior military figures from up to 40 countries.

A source close to the Defence Secretary said: "The Defence Secretary had a very warm conversation with Secretary Hegseth. They discussed the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and how allies can work together."

The proposed gathering would reunite European and American allies after recent meetings were held separately.

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Mr Streeting's diplomatic outreach comes as Andy Burham attempts to reset relations with Washington following months of strained ties.

Sir Keir Starmer had initially built a strong working relationship with Donald Trump before relations deteriorated after Britain refused to allow US forces to use UK bases during military operations against Iran.

The US President later criticised Sir Keir, describing him as "no Winston Churchill", and branded the Chagos Islands agreement "an act of great stupidity".

Mr Trump held an "interesting" call with Mr Burnham on Monday, with the American leader saying the new Prime Minister has "got a big job ahead of him".

The appointment of Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary is also understood to have prompted concern in Washington.

Mr Streeting's proposed summit would include Mr Hegseth and General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as part of efforts to strengthen military co-operation.

The Defence Secretary also used the call to outline Britain's plans to modernise the Armed Forces for an era increasingly dominated by drones and autonomous technology.

Speaking at the Farnborough Airshow last week, Mr Streeting said Britain was "building an integrated system of crewed and autonomous platforms, [providing] us with the bridge to our sixth-generation fighter system".

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He also reaffirmed the Government's commitment to increase defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2035.

The outreach came as tensions in the Gulf continued to escalate.

A spokesman for Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) warned on Saturday that Britain would become a "definite and legitimate target" if it supported Washington's military campaign, according to Iranian state television.

The IRGC also claimed its forces had intercepted four vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz within 24 hours.

Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations organisation confirmed an incident involving a tanker and unidentified military forces near the strategic waterway.

The escalating crisis has also raised fresh concerns over Britain's public finances, with reports suggesting rising gilt yields have reduced the Chancellor's fiscal headroom to around £7billion.

A source close to Chancellor John Healey said: "Fiscal credibility is the bedrock of both our economic security and our national security.

"We will meet our commitments on defence to our allies."

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