UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is meeting Gulf partners this week to discuss diplomatic efforts to support and uphold the US-Iran ceasefire in order to bring about a lasting resolution to the conflict and protect the global economy from further threats.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will make clear his government’s commitment to de-escalation, and hold further talks on practical efforts to restore full freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Starmer said he welcomed the ceasefire agreement reached, which brought ‘a moment of relief to the region and the world’.
“Together with our partners we must do all we can to support and sustain this ceasefire, turn it into a lasting agreement and reopen the Strait of Hormuz,” he added.
As detailed by the Prime Minister last week, the UK is continuing to lead the international effort, convening allies from across the world to ensure the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.
He will also see in person the defensive support the UK has provided in the collective self-defence of his country’s allies in the region and thank UK personnel for their brave service. As reported in the GDN, the UK has played a vital role in supporting Bahrain against Iranian aggression.
British ambassador to Bahrain Alistair Long told the GDN: “The British Prime Minister is visiting the region to express solidarity, recognition for the defence forces, and determination to work with our close allies for peace in the region.”
British Royal Air Force Regiment gunners operating in ‘a high-threat area’ successfully downed multiple Iranian drones in recent days. UK Typhoons and F-35 jets, supported by Voyager (air-to-air refuelling and transport aircraft) and Royal Navy Merlin and Wildcat helicopters, have continued their defensive missions over the Eastern Mediterranean, Jordan, Bahrain and the UAE.
British Defence Secretary John Healey last month announced that the UK’s Lightweight Multirole Launcher was in Bahrain, supported by a team of their experts to help integrate the short-range air defence system into Bahraini defences.
This defensive deployment aligned with the UK government’s policy to protect British personnel, interests and partners in the Middle East, while avoiding escalation into a wider conflict.
Starmer’s trip to the Gulf follows the UK-convened meeting last week of more than 40 countries to begin work on a viable plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz when the fighting subsides, and subsequent military planning meeting hosted by the UK on Tuesday to further advance this work.
Work will now continue at pace in light of the ceasefire and the Prime Minister is expected to discuss this further in meetings with leaders in the region.
The premier’s first stop was to thank the UK and local personnel who have bravely put their lives at risk in the defence of ‘our people, our interests and those of our allies’, a UK government statement added.
The Defence Ministry has confirmed that UK personnel have intercepted more than 110 drone attacks in the region, and the RAF have conducted more than 1,600 hours of defensive operations.
The Prime Minister is also paying tribute to the work of the UK’s partners in the Gulf, whose armed forces have protected the hundreds of thousands of UK nationals living in the region in the face of Iran’s brutal aggression.
Starmer said yesterday there was still a lot of work to do to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “We now ... have a ceasefire, but there’s a lot of work to do, as you will appreciate, a lot of work to make sure that ceasefire becomes permanent and brings about the peace that we all want to see,” he said in a speech to military personnel at a base in Saudi Arabia. “But also a lot of work to do in relation to the Strait of Hormuz, which has an impact everywhere across the world.”
Starmer, who has been heavily criticised by US President Donald Trump for failing to support the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, has hosted multinational meetings on how allies could support the reopening of the key strait that is fundamental to oil and gas trade.
“It’s our job to make sure that the Strait is open, that we’re able to get the energy that the world needs out and stabilise the prices back in the United Kingdom,” he told reporters.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper also spoke to her US counterpart, Marco Rubio, on Tuesday, about diplomatic measures to secure the reopening of the Strait, including last week’s UK-led meeting that brought together more than 40 countries to discuss the issue.
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