STORY
The UK and France have issued a joint statement with Oman on efforts to restore safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz, describing the waterway as a vital artery for the global economy. Downing Street said Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron were working with the Sultanate of Oman to support freedom of navigation in the region.
The statement said Oman had agreed to work with the United Kingdom and France to ensure that its sovereign territorial waters were safe for navigation. The UK and France also said they stood ready to deploy the wider Multinational Military Mission to support safe transit through the Strait.
The Government said the UK and France remained committed to regional stability, respect for state sovereignty and international law. The statement follows earlier talks between Starmer and Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik Al Said of Oman in Downing Street on efforts to reassure shipping using the route.