LONDON, April 8 (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to the Gulf on Wednesday to hold talks with regional leaders to try to ensure the Strait of Hormuz opens permanently after a U.S.-Iran ceasefire, his office said.
“I welcome the ceasefire agreement reached overnight, which will bring a moment of relief to the region and the world,” Starmer said in a statement.
“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.”
Starmer, who has been heavily criticised by U.S. President Donald Trump for failing to support the U.S. 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.
The British statement said Starmer would 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”.
The visit to the region had been planned before the ceasefire was announced.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper also spoke to her U.S. counterpart, Marco Rubio, on Tuesday, when they discussed diplomatic measures to secure the reopening of the Strait, including last week’s UK-led meeting which brought together over 40 countries to discuss the issue.
(Reporting by Muvija M and Kate Holton; Editing by Elizabeth Piper)
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