LONDON: The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, met his British counterpart, Yvette Cooper, in London on Tuesday to discuss security and the economic repercussions of the ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
They stressed that any attempt to use the strait as a tool for political or economic pressure is a violation of international laws and harms global trade, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
They emphasized the importance of coordinated efforts to ensure freedom of navigation in the vital waterway, through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s seaborne oil and liquefied natural gas is shipped from the Gulf to global markets.
Despite a ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran in April, the Strait of Hormuz has effectively been closed to shipping since the US and Israel launched attacks against Iran on Feb. 28.
Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “The UK and Saudi Arabia are working closely on regional security, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and deepening defense, investment and growth ties.”
Following the meeting, Cooper wrote on social media platform X: “I’m continuing to work intensively with partners to build global diplomatic pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. We urgently need international shipping moving again to tackle cost-of-living pressures here at home.”
Also on Tuesday, the UK announced the deployment of autonomous mine-hunting equipment, counter-drone systems, Typhoon jets, and the destroyer HMS Dragon to help secure freedom of navigation in the strait.
Speaking during a virtual summit with defense ministers from more than 40 nations that are participating in the Multinational Military Mission, Britain’s Defense Secretary John Healey confirmed that HMS Dragon was en route to the Middle East.
