RIYADH: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, on the first stop of a Gulf tour aimed at bolstering the ceasefire in the Middle East war, Downing Street said. As the British leader's arrival was being announced, the Gulf kingdom's defence ministry said it had intercepted nine drones targeting Saudi territory in recent hours, despite the ceasefire agreed overnight between the US and Iran. The ministry's post on X did not mention the location of the interceptions or any potential targets.
Earlier, Starmer welcomed the ceasefire deal, saying in a statement it "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," he added.
Hours later, Starmer issued another joint statement with the leaders of Canada, Japan and various European countries, which said the goal must now be to negotiate an end to the war "within the coming days". "This can only be achieved through diplomatic means," their statement added.
The UK leader's Gulf tour follows a virtual meeting on Tuesday of military planners from over 30 countries hosted by Britain. It explored measures for an international coalition to make the Strait of Hormuz accessible and safe after a ceasefire, according to the Ministry of Defence. Last week, a UK-led diplomatic virtual meeting of around 40 countries also discussed the critical waterway. — AFP
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