- The Prime Minister will travel to the Gulf this week to meet leaders of countries who have been in the front line, and will set out his full support for the newly agreed ceasefire
- In meetings with regional leaders, he will reiterate unwavering UK support and need for a long-term diplomatic resolution to make sure the ceasefire leads to a lasting agreement
- He will hold talks on ensuring the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remains permanent, with the United Kingdom continuing to lead international efforts
The Prime Minister is travelling to the Gulf today to meet with Gulf partners and discuss diplomatic efforts to support and uphold the ceasefire in order to bring about a lasting resolution to the conflict and protect the UK and global economy from further threats.
On the visit, the Prime Minister will make clear his government’s commitment to de-escalation, and hold further talks on practical efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz following promising progress reported as a result of the ceasefire. As announced by the Prime Minister last week, the United Kingdom 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 our allies in the region and thank UK personnel for their brave service.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said
I welcome the ceasefire agreement reached overnight, which will bring 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 re-open the Strait of Hormuz.
The Prime Minster’s travel 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 Prime Minister’s first stop will be 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.
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that UK personnel have intercepted more than 110 drone attacks in the region, and the RAF have conducted more than 1600 hours of defensive operations.
The Prime Minister will also pay tribute to the work of our 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.