UK PM Starmer visits Saudi Arabia to support Middle East ceasefire as drones intercepted

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Saudi Arabia on April 8, 2026, for his first regional visit since the US-Israeli war against Iran began on February 28. He is meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh to bolster the overnight ceasefire agreement. Despite the truce, Saudi Arabia's defence ministry reported intercepting nine drones targeting its territory hours before Starmer's arrival, though locations and targets were not specified.

The ceasefire aims to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil passageway that has been largely closed since the war started, disrupting global supplies of oil, liquefied natural gas, and fertiliser. Starmer stressed the need to sustain the ceasefire and turn it into a lasting agreement, joining leaders from Canada, Japan, and Europe in a joint statement urging diplomatic ends to the war "within the coming days."

The UK has been actively involved, with armed forces intercepting over 110 drone attacks and RAF flying more than 1,600 defensive hours. A UK-led meeting of 40 countries recently discussed securing the strait. For Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer, any prolonged disruption to Hormuz could impact global oil prices, potentially affecting local fuel costs and inflation.

Will Nigeria benefit from stabilized oil markets if the ceasefire holds, or will domestic fuel subsidy reforms overshadow any global price relief?

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/04/08/uk-pm-starmer-arrives-in-saudi-arabia-welcomes-iran-war-truce/