Saudi Arabia urges US to lift Hormuz Strait blockade

Istanbul (ANTARA) - Saudi Arabia has urged the United States to halt the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and return to negotiations with Iran, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday, citing regional officials.

US President Donald Trump announced a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, effective from Monday (13/4) at 14.00 GMT or 21.00 WIB.

The blockade came after Washington and Tehran failed to reach an agreement in talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, over the weekend.

Those talks in Islamabad were held following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire and were part of efforts to end US and Israeli attacks on Iran since 28 February, which have killed more than 1,400 people.

The report claims that Saudi Arabia is concerned that Trump’s blockade will prompt Iran to escalate tensions and disrupt other important shipping routes.

“Gulf countries do not want the war to end with Iran controlling the Strait of Hormuz, the lifeline of their economy. However, many parties, including Saudi Arabia, are urging the US to resolve this issue at the negotiating table and are making strong efforts to restart talks,” the report states.

Despite showing “hardline stances” from both sides, the US and Iran are assessed to have actively engaged with mediators and to be open to talks if each demonstrates sufficient flexibility.