Top Saudi, US diplomats discuss Washington-Tehran agreement, Hormuz navigation

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed on Thursday an interim agreement between Washington and Tehran, freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and developments in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

The talks were held on the sidelines of a Gulf-US ministerial meeting held in the Bahraini capital Manama, according to the Saudi Foreign Ministry.

The ministry said the two ministers reviewed “regional and international developments, foremost among them the US-Iran agreement and the progress made in the negotiations between the two sides.”

They also “underscored the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz without restrictions, and discussed the latest developments in Gaza and Lebanon,” it added.

US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of understanding electronically on June 17 aimed at ending their war and reaching a lasting peace agreement.

The region had been on edge since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliatory attacks from Tehran targeting US assets across the Middle East.