Foreign ministers from seven countries in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere will meet in Istanbul on Friday to focus on the Strait of Hormuz and the interconnected crises in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.
Turkish Foreign Ministry sources told AFP that ministers from the so-called E3 group (Britain, France and Germany) will meet with those from the newly formed R4 group (made up of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt) to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, developments in Yemen and the Strait of Hormuz, and ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband’s office said the talks would focus on “the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and Saudi Arabia” Saudi Arabia backs embattled Yemeni government A decade-long civil war erupted in the United States’ war against Iran.
“Despite positive progress by the United States and regional partners, passage through the Channel remains under threat, with traffic through the waterway falling sharply to pre-war levels,” a Foreign Office statement said.
Miliband will “advocate for a diplomatic solution to the crisis and the restoration of full navigation rights and freedoms,” the statement said, highlighting how “Iran’s tactics are being replicated across the region, with attacks on Saudi Arabia further destabilizing the region and increasing pressure on vital waterways and global chokepoints such as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Suez Canal.”
“The UK is stepping up efforts to help stabilize the region and has deployed RAF Typhoon aircraft this week to protect Saudi Arabia from Houthi attacks in its airspace,” the statement added.
CBS/AFP