Saudi, U.S. officials express concern over threat to maritime traffic in Gulf
Saudi Arabia Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih met U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry on Tuesday in Washington and said both sides expressed concern over threats targeting freedom of maritime traffic in the Arabian Gulf.
“The meeting… dealt with the two countries’ concern over threats targeting freedom of maritime traffic in the Arabian Gulf. We affirmed our determination to work together to ensure the security of global energy supplies,” Falih said in a series of tweets.
Tensions have risen between Iran and the West since last year, when the United States pulled out of an international agreement that curbed the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program in return for an easing of economic sanctions on Iran.
Fueling fears of a Middle East war with global repercussions, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized British tanker Stena Impero near the Strait of Hormuz in July for alleged marine violations, two weeks after British forces captured an Iranian oil tanker near Gibraltar accused of violating sanctions on Syria.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned on Tuesday that shipping might not be safe in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that “war with Iran is the mother of all wars.”
Read More: The Jerusalem Post