British Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly warned citizens that the Iranian conflict is already being felt in the British economy - and that the effects will last longer than London would like to admit.

"Do not panic" was the opening line. Which, in political communication, means precisely the opposite - that the situation is serious. Starmer confirmed the government is working "24 hours a day" on supply chains, but added that opening the Strait of Hormuz will not fix the damage overnight.

"People will have to change their habits - where they go on holiday, what they buy at the supermarket," Starmer said at a press conference after an emergency cabinet meeting. Britain is moving into austerity mode - in the most cultivated corner of Europe.

The prime minister repeated that London will not get involved in military operations, but that the government has to protect citizens from the consequences of the conflict. "We must do everything to open the Strait of Hormuz," he said. The "we must" rhetoric is standard, but until now Starmer rarely talked about alternative scenarios. Now he does.

For the Balkans, this is not distant news. Britain imports oil on the international market - the same market that Greece, Italy, and through them Macedonia, pays at the petrol pump. When London says "change your habits", what that means in Skopje's cafes is: get ready for the price of petrol to rise here too.

The question Starmer does not answer is simple: if Britain, with its reserves and oil partners, cannot guarantee stability for the summer, what can the Balkans do?