LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Abu Dhabi on Thursday for talks with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, following an agreement between the US, Israel and Iran to halt military actions.
The two leaders discussed the impact of the conflict on maritime security, energy supplies and the global economy, the Emirates News Agency reported.
They said that Iranian aggression targeting civilians and infrastructure in the UAE and the region violated sovereignty, international law and the UN Charter and undermined regional peace and security.
Starmer reiterated the UK’s condemnation of the attacks on the UAE and affirmed its solidarity with the country in defending itself and safeguarding its security and sovereignty.
The prime minister met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah on Wednesday to discuss the latest regional and international developments.
He welcomed the Iran-US ceasefire but said that much work remained to be done in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 25 percent of the world’s seaborne oil trade transits.
The two-week ceasefire agreement between the US, Israel and Iran brought relative calm to the region and a slight fall in energy prices. However, Lebanon was excluded from the deal and more than 110 people were killed in heavy airstrikes as Israel continued to target Iran-backed Hezbollah positions.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said that the UK wanted to see Lebanon included in the ceasefire deal.
“We do want to see the ceasefire extended to Lebanon. I’m deeply troubled about the escalating attacks that we saw from Israel in Lebanon yesterday,” she told Sky News on Thursday.
“We’ve seen the humanitarian consequences, the huge mass displacement of people in Lebanon. So we do strongly want to see the ceasefire extended to Lebanon.”
