Saudi Arabia pressing US to end Hormuz blockade, return to Iran talks, WSJ reports

Saudi Arabia is pressing the US to cease its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and return to talks with Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing regional officials. US President Donald Trump announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which took effect at 1400GMT Monday. The blockade came after Washington and Tehran failed to reach an agreement in Pakistan's capital over the weekend during talks aimed at ending the US-Israeli offensive on Iran that has killed more than 1,400 people since Feb. 28.

Saudi concerns

The report claimed that Saudi Arabia fears Trump's blockade may lead Iran to escalate and disrupt other important shipping routes. It said Iran could retaliate by closing the Bab al-Mandeb, a Red Sea chokepoint crucial for the kingdom's remaining oil exports. "Gulf states don't want the war to end with Iran in control of the Strait of Hormuz, their economic lifeline," the report said.

Back-channel diplomacy

"But many including Saudi Arabia are pressing the US to resolve the issue at the negotiating table and are scrambling to restart talks," it added. The report said that despite the "public hard line" from both sides, the US and Iran are "actively engaging with mediators and open to talks if each shows enough flexibility."

Ceasefire context

The US and Iran had announced a two-week ceasefire earlier this month, brokered by Pakistan, but talks in Islamabad collapsed without an agreement. The US then moved to enforce a naval blockade of Iranian ports. Iran has largely restricted access to the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, through which about 20% of the world's oil flows.