Russian foreign minister discusses situation around Strait of Hormuz with Saudi, UAE counterparts

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday discussed the situation around the Strait of Hormuz with his Saudi and Emirati counterparts in separate phone calls.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement following Lavrov’s phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud that their discussion focused on the situation in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

“Both sides expressed their position on the unacceptability of a return to escalation and the need to continue ongoing diplomatic contacts with the goal of quickly reaching a sustainable, long-term agreement on all aspects of crisis resolution,” the statement said.

It stated that particular emphasis was placed on restoring freedom of navigation to the Strait, which existed before the US and Israel's attacks on Iran at the end of February, as well as the "advisability of resuming efforts to comprehensively normalize relations between Iran and the Arab monarchies for the long term."

“The Russian side confirmed its readiness to facilitate progress in the aforementioned areas, taking into account the interests of all parties involved,” the statement added.

A separate readout of the phone call between Lavrov and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan stated that, in addition to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, their conversation included UN discussions on the subject.

It said that the Russian side emphasized the need to focus on supporting ongoing negotiation efforts between Iran and the US.

“Moscow reaffirmed its position on the unacceptability of jeopardizing prospects for stabilization by resuming hostilities, which result in civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure both in Iran and in neighboring Arab countries,” it further said.

It noted that both foreign ministers agreed to remain in contact and “strive to harmonize the approaches of all parties involved in finding a long-term, sustainable solution.”

The UAE foreign minister also congratulated Lavrov on the occasion of Russia’s Victory Day celebrations, the statement said, adding that an exchange of views also took place on several bilateral issues, including the schedule of upcoming contacts.

Regional tensions have sharply escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering Iranian retaliation against Israel and American allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, though negotiations in Islamabad failed to produce a permanent agreement. US President Donald Trump later announced an extension of the truce without setting a deadline.

The US has maintained a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the strait since April 13.