UK's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed a ceasefire between Iran and the United States, that was reached overnight, as he travels to the Gulf to support diplomatic efforts to sustain the agreement and stabilise the region.
Starmer said the deal would bring “a moment of relief” globally but stressed the need to turn the pause in fighting into a lasting agreement.
Downing Street said the Prime Minister will hold talks with regional leaders to support and uphold the ceasefire, with a focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz a key global shipping route.
In first comments on the deal, Starmer said, "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's also expected to meet UK military personnel in the region as part of his Gulf trip, which was planned before the ceasefire announcement.
It follows Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper's virtual summit with representatives of more than 40 nations last week, discussing plans to reopen the Strait.
Conservative figures including former foreign secretary James Cleverly who said the pause in fighting must now be used to pressure Iran into long-term changes. He said the ceasefire is an "opportunity for Iran to make some serious choices" about how it behaves at home and abroad.
The agreement comes after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran of severe consequences if it failed to end hostilities and unblock the Strait, prompting renewed calls from Westminster for de-escalation.
The ceasefire, agreed on Tuesday (7 April) shortly before a deadline set by Washington was set to end, remains conditional. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said it depended on Iran agreeing to the “complete, immediate, and safe opening” of the waterway.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Tehran would agree to the ceasefire if attacks against the country stopped. He added that safe passage through the Strait would be guaranteed for a two-week period.
The conflict began 28 February after coordinated strikes by the U.S. and Israel, driven by concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme. Tehran responded with attacks across the Gulf and the wider Middle East, including disruption to maritime traffic.
The Strait of Hormuz carries around a fifth of the world’s energy shipments, and the escalation led to sharp increases in global oil prices, as well as rising petrol and diesel costs.
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Iran temporarily reopened the Strait of Hormuz on Friday (17 April) following a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, raising optimism about peace talks, but Tehran warned that it could close the crucial waterway again if the recent U.S. Navy blockade of Iranian ports continued.
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The Strait of Hormuz has reopened, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday (17 April), although Washington warned its naval blockade on Iran would remain until a peace deal is reached.
Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping on Friday (17 April) for the first time since the U.S. and Israel killed Iran's ex-Supreme Leader in air strikes, triggering the Middle East conflict, at the end of February. A U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, however, remains in force.
Iran has cautiously welcomed the ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon stressing that it is an integral part of Tehran’s set of its conditions for an end to the ongoing conflict with Washington.
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