Britain’s Starmer discusses regional stability with Gulf and Middle East leaders

UK Prime Minister commends them for supporting regional security amid war in Gaza

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer waits to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the NATO 75th anniversary summit in Washington, DC, on July 10, 2024. AFP

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held phone calls with leaders from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Oman on Monday, with regional stability high on the agenda.

Topics such as the war in Gaza, defence and the UK’s trading relationships were raised during the conversations on Monday afternoon.

During a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the leaders reflected on the strong relationship between the UK and Saudi Arabia, including through the Strategic Partnership Council.

Mr Starmer praised Prince Mohammed for his leading support for regional stability and underlined the UK’s commitment to peace and security in the region.

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Both leaders said they looked forward to working together to strengthen areas of shared interest, including trade, investment and defence co-operation.

Mr Starmer also spoke to King Abdullah II of Jordan on Monday, with both agreeing the relationship between the countries was “deep and historic".

They discussed Gaza, with the Prime Minister commending King Abdullah for his strong leadership in ensuring regional security.

Both leaders agreed that “ensuring an immediate ceasefire is vital to ensure hostages get out and further aid can get into Gaza.”

During talks with Sultan Haitham of Oman, Mr Starmer affirmed his commitment to the relationship between the two countries and said he looked forward to expanding their ties across defence, security and economic prosperity.

The leaders also agreed on the importance of regional security in the Middle East and both plan to work closely to ensure stability.

The calls come after Mr Starmer spoke to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas within 48 hours of entering No 10 Downing Street.

Amid fears of a wider Middle East war, he “clearly wanted to send a message” to Israel by urging restraint on its border with Lebanon, said Malcolm Chalmers of the Royal United Services Institute think tank.

Asked by The National about Britain's influence in the region, Mr Chalmers said there "may be some issues" in which Britain under Labour departs from US policy on Gaza.

These could include Britain's funding for the UN's Palestinian aid agency, the UNRWA, and its stance on the International Criminal Court's investigation into Mr Netanyahu and Hamas leaders.

There could even be a review of arms exports to Israel but “my instinct is that this government will not want to distance itself too much from the European mainstream", he said.

"If there is a large-scale attack on Lebanon in the coming months – which certainly a lot of Israelis are talking about, and it may happen – then the visibility of that will suddenly increase manifold.

“It’ll be very difficult to evacuate UK nationals who remain in Lebanon. The route to Syria is not as available as it was the last time there was a war.

"That will be a challenge for our armed forces."