April 9 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday about the need for a plan to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz "as quickly as possible," following a U.S. ceasefire with Iran, Downing Street said.

Starmer discussed with Trump the UK's efforts to convene partners to agree to a "viable plan" on restoring freedom of navigation in the waterway.

"They agreed that now there is a ceasefire in place and agreement to open the Strait, we are at the next stage of finding a resolution," the statement said.

By Enas Alashray and Yomna Ehab

CAIRO, April 9 (Reuters) - Attacks on Saudi energy facilities have cut the kingdom's oil production capacity by around 600,000 barrels per day and the throughput on its East-West pipeline by about 700,000 bpd, Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Thursday, citing an official source at the energy ministry.

The attacks, including previous strikes on some facilities, also disrupted operations at key oil, gas, refining, petrochemical and electricity sites in Riyadh, the Eastern Province and Yanbu Industrial City, SPA said.

The International Monetary Fund's chief urged governments on Thursday to "do no harm" as they face the massive economic shocks caused by the Middle East war, calling for "targeted" and disciplined fiscal actions.

In an interview with AFP, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the shocks of a surge in energy prices and supply chain disruptions "inevitably bring pain."

"There is no way around it," she said, pointing to the effects on the most vulnerable on the planet, particularly those in low-income countries with limited budgets to take on the crisis.

WASHINGTON, April 9 (Reuters) - U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Thursday summoned the Iraqi ambassador after a drone struck a major U.S. diplomatic facility in Baghdad, the State Department said in a statement.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said earlier that an Iraqi "terrorist militia" group, which it accused of being aligned with Iran, had conducted multiple drone attacks near the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center and Baghdad International Airport.

Iran's imposition of a toll for ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz looks set to be a key point of contention at talks opening in Pakistan Friday.

When the United States and Israel launched their attack on Iran on February 28, Iran responded by blocking passage through the key Strait to all but a handful of vessels.

While Iran agreed to reopen the thoroughfare during the two-week truce with the United States, it has also spoken of a toll system to fund reconstruction following punishing US-Israeli attacks.

By Patricia Zengerle and Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON, April 9 (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Republicans on Thursday blocked a Democratic effort to end U.S. attacks on Iran, as Donald Trump's party continued to prevent efforts to rein in the Republican president's war powers.

Representative Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican, presided over an abbreviated "pro forma" House session, ending it before a group of Democrats could seek to pass by unanimous consent the resolution, which would have called for an end to the U.S. military operation.

By William James

LONDON, April 9 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday said the Iran war must become a turning point for Britain after two decades of crises, and he promised to strengthen the country's economy and military to cope with a more "volatile and dangerous" world.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire in the six-week-old Iran conflict, but there is no sign yet of Tehran lifting its near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused the worst disruption to energy supplies in history.

Democrats are clashing this week over the influence of pro-Israel lobbying on American politics and the US ally's military actions in the Middle East at a key strategy gathering ahead of November's midterm elections.

Attendees at the three-day Democratic National Committee (DNC) conference in New Orleans on Thursday began weighing resolutions to recognize a Palestinian state, restrict military aid to Israel and denounce the "growing influence" of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

BEIRUT, April 9 (Reuters) - Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayyad said on Thursday that the group rejected direct negotiations with Israel and that the Lebanese government should demand a ceasefire as a precondition before any further steps are taken.

Fayyad's statement came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed his cabinet to begin direct talks with Lebanon. Fayyad said the Lebanese government's position should also prioritize the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanese territory and the return of displaced people to their homes.

By Saad Sayeed and Ariba Shahid

ISLAMABAD, April 9 (Reuters) - Pakistan is under huge pressure to pull off what some diplomats regard as mission impossible: broker a peace deal between Iran and the United States to stabilize the world economy while safeguarding delegates already arguing over a fragile truce.

Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif engaged in weeks of diplomacy to halt a war that could deepen instability along Pakistan's western border with Iran and Afghanistan, with which it has recently exchanged fire.