E3 foreign ministers set Friday Istanbul talks with R4 representatives on Hormuz and regional crises, with Britain prioritizing the Saudi situation

Foreign ministers from Britain, France, Germany and Italy—the E3—are scheduled to meet representatives of the newly formed R4 group in Istanbul on Friday. A Turkish foreign ministry source told AFP the talks will cover Palestine, developments in Yemen and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war. The R4 comprises Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt.

The British foreign secretary’s office said the discussions would focus primarily on the Strait of Hormuz and the situation in Saudi Arabia. It said Ed Miliband would advocate a diplomatic solution to the Hormuz crisis that restores “full navigational rights and freedoms.”

Miliband’s office also said he would highlight what it described as Iranian tactics being replicated across the region. It said attacks on Saudi Arabia were further destabilizing the region and increasing pressure on vital waterways and global chokepoints, including Bab al-Mandab and the Suez Canal.

France confirmed that the meeting would address “the Iranian crisis in its various ramifications.” The French foreign ministry described it as the first meeting in this format, taking place amid “extreme instability and uncertainty in the region.” It said the aim was to strengthen coordination between European and Middle Eastern countries in response to crises “that we did not choose and that affect us all.”