Saudi Arabia has demanded guaranteed free passage through the Strait of Hormuz and backed Pakistani mediation, as Israeli officials warned the situation with Iran could deteriorate within hours, prompting airport contingency measures.
Saudi Arabia has demanded guaranteed free passage through the Strait of Hormuz and backed Pakistani mediation, as Israeli officials warned the situation with Iran could deteriorate within hours, prompting airport contingency measures. Summary: Saudi Arabia called for the restoration of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz to its status prior to 28 February, and demanded guarantees for safe and unrestricted passage of vessels, per the Saudi Foreign Ministry Riyadh urged all parties to exercise restraint and voiced support for Pakistani mediation efforts amid ongoing regional tensions, according to the Saudi Foreign Ministry statement Saudi Arabia called for a political solution to the conflict that would prevent further regional destabilisation, per the Foreign Ministry Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport has been placed on high alert in preparation for a possible closure of Israeli airspace and the potential evacuation of aircraft, according to Channel 14 The Israeli Airport Authority and Ministry of Transportation have conducted situational assessments in recent hours, per the report Israeli security officials warned that the situation with Iran could deteriorate rapidly, potentially within a matter of hours, according to Channel 14 Main article: Saudi Arabia has issued its most direct public intervention on the Strait of Hormuz to date, demanding guaranteed and unrestricted passage for vessels through the waterway and calling for a return to the navigational conditions that existed before 28 February.
The statement, issued by the Saudi Foreign Ministry, came alongside an endorsement of Pakistani mediation efforts and a broader call for regional restraint, reflecting Riyadh’s acute unease as the conflict between Iran and Israel continues to deepen. The Saudi position is significant on multiple levels. As the world’s largest oil exporter, the kingdom has an existential interest in Hormuz remaining open.
Roughly a third of the world’s seaborne oil passes…