Written question asked by Lord Hylton (Crossbench) on Monday, 10 July 2023, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 24 July 2023. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Monday, 24 July 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Middle East: Diplomatic Relations

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the recent restoration of diplomatic relations between several Middle Eastern states.

Answer: We welcome the recent agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran if it leads to a de-escalation of tension. The onus is on Iran to honour its commitments. We also welcome the Abraham Accords as a historic milestone bringing us closer to the goal of shared prosperity and peace throughout the region. The UK is working with regional partners to ensure the Abraham Accords are an enduring success, and we continue to encourage other countries who have not yet normalised their relations with Israel to do so. We continue to support efforts to ensure normalisation also delivers benefits for the Palestinians.

Secondary information