UK Foreign Secretary Miliband to discuss Strait of Hormuz — The Independent

UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband will take part on Friday in talks in Turkey dedicated to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on Saudi Arabia. This was reported by The Independent.

Participants in the talks

Representatives of the European E4 group — the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy — as well as the regional R4 group: Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, are expected to take part in the meeting.

Miliband plans to call for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict with Iran that would ensure complete freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. He is also expected to tell colleagues that Iran and its proxy forces must not continue to destabilize regional security and global markets.

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Reports of damaged tankers

Iranian state television reported on Thursday that seven oil tankers caught fire and were damaged overnight in the Strait of Hormuz. According to its information, citing the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, four vessels were attacked during oil transshipment and caught fire, while another three were damaged and lost propulsion after colliding with sea mines.

The publication notes that this information requires confirmation. The Iranian report contained no information about possible casualties or the flags of the vessels. According to The Independent, attacks on maritime vessels in the strait intensified after US President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s latest proposal to end the war and open the waterway.

Earlier this week, the United Kingdom announced an expansion of military assistance to Saudi Arabia, including the deployment of fighter jets to intercept Houthi drones and missiles targeting the kingdom.