Starmer says much work remains to make US-Iran ceasefire hold

BBC:

Sir Keir Starmer has said there is a “lot of work to do” to make the two-week ceasefire between Iran and the US hold and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The prime minister arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday as part of a visit to Gulf allies to discuss diplomatic efforts to support and uphold the agreement.

He said fully reopening the vital shipping route to restore oil and gas supplies would help “stabilise” prices in the UK.

The ceasefire comes after US President Donald Trump threatened a “whole civilisation” would “die” if Iran did not agree to end the war and unblock the strait – comments that led Downing Street to call again for “de-escalation”.

Sir Keir said there was a sense of “relief” following the ceasefire but he acknowledged it was “early days”.

His remarks came as Iranian media reported that oil tankers had stopped passing through the strait, as Israel said it had hit Lebanon with the “biggest strikes” since its ground operation began.

Pakistan – which acted as an intermediary in the ceasefire talks – and Iran said the deal covered Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting the Iranian proxy Hezbollah.

But Israel has said the two-week ceasefire does not include Lebanon.

Allowing tankers through the strait is a key to the ceasefire between Iran and the US.

Ship-broker SSY confirmed to BBC Verify that vessels in the Gulf had received a message that warned the strait remained closed and permission was required from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) before sailing.

Sir Keir, addressing UK and Saudi personnel at the King Fahd Air Base in Taif, said: “There’s a lot of work to do, as you will appreciate, a lot of work to make sure that that ceasefire becomes permanent and brings about the peace that we all want to see.

“But also a lot of work to do in relation to the Strait of Hormuz, which has an impact everywhere across the world.”

He later travelled to Jeddah, where he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Following the meeting, a Downing Street spokesperson said the two men had discussed “the UK’s ongoing efforts to convene partners to agree and plan the practical steps required to give shipping the confidence to transit the Strait”.

The spokesperson said the prime minister had also thanked Saudi Arabia for its “efforts to protect British nationals in the country”.

Sir Keir will return to the UK on Friday, with the trip planned before the ceasefire announcement.