MANAMA: Bahrain and the United Kingdom said after meetings in Manama that they had reviewed regional and international developments, with both sides emphasizing the security and economic fallout from the current crisis and the need to support stability. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday, while Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa held a separate meeting with Starmer focused on the impact of regional tensions on the global economy and international security.
The talks placed the Strait of Hormuz at the center of the bilateral agenda as both governments linked maritime security to broader economic stability. The British government said Starmer strongly condemned the attacks on Bahrain and stressed the importance of upholding the ceasefire to support lasting peace. London also said the two sides underlined their commitment to restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait and to pursuing practical plans that would allow shipping to move normally through one of the world’s most important trade routes.
Bahrain said the discussions also covered the close strategic relationship between the two countries and opportunities to deepen cooperation across political, security, defence, military and economic sectors. In its account of the Crown Prince’s meeting with Starmer, Bahrain said Salman stressed the importance of an immediate halt to hostile acts in the region and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Bahrain also pointed to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817, which condemned the attacks and demanded an immediate end to further strikes on civilian objects in the region.
Hormuz focus sharpens economic stakes
The focus on Hormuz reflects the waterway’s central role in global energy flows. U.S. Energy Information Administration data show that nearly one fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption and about one fifth of worldwide liquefied natural gas trade move through the Strait. In its latest short term outlook, the agency said global oil markets remained highly volatile because of the effective disruption to shipping traffic there, with Brent crude averaging $103 a barrel in March and daily prices reaching almost $128 on April 2.
International institutions have also tied the shipping disruption to wider economic pressure. The International Monetary Fund said the conflict had transmitted globally through higher energy costs and supply chain disruption, while Britain and other countries said in a joint March statement that attacks on commercial vessels, oil and gas infrastructure and the de facto closure of the Strait threatened international peace and security. Britain said this week that Starmer’s Gulf trip was aimed in part at supporting the ceasefire and protecting the UK and global economy from further threats.
Bilateral ties extend beyond crisis talks
The meetings also took place against the backdrop of a broader Bahrain UK economic and strategic partnership. According to the latest UK government trade factsheet, total trade in goods and services between the two countries stood at about £1.2 billion in the four quarters to the end of the third quarter of 2025, including £980 million in British exports to Bahrain. In a joint strategic dialogue held in November 2025, ministers from both countries reaffirmed support for closer cooperation in green transition, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity and tourism.
That broader relationship was reinforced in London in June 2025, when Bahrain and the UK announced a second Strategic Investment and Collaboration Partnership expected to facilitate £2 billion of Bahraini private sector investment into Britain, alongside a new defence cooperation accord. Friday’s meetings in Manama showed that those economic and defence ties now sit alongside a shared focus on ceasefire support, secure shipping lanes and efforts to limit the impact of regional instability on world trade and energy markets – By Content Syndication Services.