UK PM Keir Starmer wrapped up a Gulf tour in Qatar, where he reaffirmed support for Doha, backed the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, and highlighted deep defence ties as the UK remains a major arms supplier to Qatar.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer departed Qatar on Friday following a three-day trip to the region that included Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, with a focus on the developments of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran.
During his visit to Doha, Starmer met Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the Lusail Palace, where he renewed the United Kingdom’s condemnation of Iran’s attacks against the Gulf state, according to the Amiri Diwan.
The meeting was also attended by Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Starmer also voiced the UK’s “full solidarity with Qatar’s measures aimed at preserving its sovereignty, security and stability”, while both sides welcomed the Pakistan-brokered ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.
“They also stressed the need for joint efforts with international parties to solidify and build upon the agreement, leading to a lasting peace accord that guarantees regional security, the stability of supply chains, and the continued flow of global energy through the Strait of Hormuz,” the Amiri Diwan added.
Starmer also praised the Gulf state for keeping British nationals living in the country safe, adding that “the UK-Qatar Joint Squadron had worked well together to defend the region”, the UK government said in a statement.
Speaking to the press in Doha before his departure, Starmer said there was “a real desire” to work closely with the Gulf on defence and economic resilience.
“There’s a sense here, as there is, I think, in the United Kingdom, that this conflict is going to define us for a generation and we must respond, and we will respond, with strength,” he noted.
UK personnel in the Middle East have been involved in defence operations against Iran’s attacks since the beginning of the war on 28 February.
The British personnel on the ground intercepted more than 110 drone attacks in the region while the Royal Air Force (RAF) conducted more than 1600 hours of defensive operations, the UK’s government said on Wednesday.
Starmer’s visit came a week after UK Defence Secretary John Healey visited Qatar, where he confirmed an extension of the RAF Typhoon deployment in Qatar. The move followed the UK’s earlier decision on 7 March to send four Typhoon jets to bolster its air presence in the region amid the war.
The UK ranks as the world’s eighth largest arms supplier, with Qatar standing as its largest recipient, followed by the U.S. and Ukraine, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI) latest figures.
Qatar ranks as the fourth-largest arms recipient globally and the second-largest among Arab countries, with the U.S. standing as its main supplier, according to SIPRI.