Sir Keir Starmer is set to travel to the Gulf on Wednesday to meet allies in the region and discuss diplomatic efforts to “support and uphold” the ceasefire deal between the US and Iran.
The prime minister welcomed the news of the agreement reached between Washington and Tehran overnight, saying it will “bring a moment of relief to the region and the world”.
Donald Trump announced the two-week ceasefire in a social media post at around midnight, following threats to destroy Iranian civilian infrastructure if a deal was not reached by Tuesday night.
Speaking ahead of his visit, which is understood to have been planned before the ceasefire was announced, Sir Keir 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.”
No 10 said Sir Keir will travel to the Gulf on Wednesday to meet leaders of countries who have been in the front line in recent weeks, where he will reiterate “unwavering UK support”.
His first stop will be to visit British and local military personnel in the region to thank them for their service.
The trip will also involve the prime minister holding talks to ensure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remains permanent and “protect the UK and global economy from further threats”.
In a social media post around midnight, Donald Trump announced the ceasefire as a “big day for world peace”.
“The United States of America will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz. There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made,” he wrote on Truth social.
Trump had threatened to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants and warned earlier on Tuesday “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Tehran did not meet his deadline.
But less than two hours before his deadline passed for Iran to agree a deal, the US president said he was suspending his threat to widen the military offensive to power plants and bridges, subject to the strait reopening.
Both the US and Iran have framed the ceasefire as a victory, with the announcement bringing oil prices plummeting below $100 for the first time in days.
Crime minister Sarah Jones said the government is “really pleased that this ceasefire has been announced”.
She told Times Radio: “We now want to see it turn into a lasting agreement and I can tell you as well that the prime minister will be travelling to the Gulf today to see for himself the defensive action that we are taking in that region and also to play his role in terms of making sure the Strait is opened up and we are doing everything we can to see that lasting agreement.”
She said the UK is seeking to “play our role in trying to bring back some normality”, as is “making sure we are doing everything we can to encourage de-escalation”.
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