Foreign Secretary arrives in Saudi Arabia after talks with Israeli, US, and Gulf State counterparts
Cooper said:'The UK stands with our allies against Iran's reckless attacks on its neighbours'
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has travelled to Saudi Arabia in a show of solidarity with Britain’s allies in the Gulf.
She has also engaged in urgent talks with counterparts in the United Arab Emirates, Qutar and Bahrain about joint efforts to protect UK citizens and safeguard regional responsibility.
Discussions followed her earlier extensive telephone conversation with Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar on Wednesday, and also with US officials.
Cooper said:”The UK stands with our allies against Iran’s reckless attacks on its neighbours.
“We’re working around the clock to return British citizens and protect UK interets in the region.”
Her arrival in Riyadh – the first to the region by a UK minister since the outbreak of war – came hours after Saudi Arabia said it shot down one drone targeting the capital’s diplomatic quarter and another heading for an oil field in the east of the country.
Cooper met Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister and interior minister during her visit to Riyadh.
After an hour-long meeting at the foreign ministry with Prince Faisal bin Farhan to discuss the conflict with Iran, she travelled to the interior ministry to speak to Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud.
Abdulaziz opened the meeting by saying it was a “tough time” for the region but it was important to “deal with reality as it is”.
She visited Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) to thank staff for their work keeping the country’s airspace open.
Saudi Arabian airspace has remained open throughout the Iran crisis, despite occasional brief airport closures, providing corridors for aircraft repatriating people from other Gulf nations.
Ms Cooper has already visited staff at the British embassy in Riyadh to thank them for their work helping British nationals in the Gulf.
They included members of the Foreign Office’s rapid deployment team, scrambled to the region the day after the war began to assist in the consular effort.
Some 63,000 British nationals have already returned from the region, which Ms Cooper said was a “huge tribute” to the consular team’s work.
On Wednesday morning she spoke with Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar.
The call is believed to be the first senior-level contact between the UK government and Israel since the outbreak of war with Iran twelve days ago.
Following the telephone conversation Sa’ar immediately posted on X: “Held an extensive call with UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and briefed her on our war against the Iranian terror regime.
“I described the regime’s savage attacks against us and its neighbouring states, while not possessing a nuclear umbrella. Imagine what it could do if it had nuclear weapons.
“I detailed the Iranian proxy Hezbollah’s attacks against Israel’s citizens and communities, and even against Cyprus.
“I said that Lebanon will remain under de facto Iranian occupation if Hezbollah isn’t dismantled.”
Jewish News understands the conversation also involved discussion about the situation in Gaza.
Cooper is understood to have expressed the UK’s solidarity with Israel, amid ongoing strikes from Iran and its proxies.
She also noted that the UK is conducting defensive operations and wants to see a resolution to restore regional stability.
PM Keir Starmer has so far stopped short of offering immediate support for US-Israeli strikes on Iran, favouring instead defensive operations to protect British interests in the region.
However, the UK has allowed US bombers to use RAF bases to refuel and launch attacks.
Jewish News understands that Israel was not surprised by this position, but relations between Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and the UK remain “tense.”
Sources indicate a series of backchannel discussions have been taking place between officials on both sides, both before and since the conflict began.
It is understood that after Wednesaday’s call both sides suggested the talks between Cooper and Sa’ar had been constructive.
Cooper and Sa’ar previously engaged in a heated exchange last month during a UN session convened by the UK as part of its presidency of the Security Council.
On that occasion, Cooper raised concerns about settler violence and the situation in the West Bank, calling for stronger Palestinian leadership.
In response, Sa’ar paid tribute to Britain’s longstanding support for the State of Israel, referencing pivotal moments such as the Balfour Declaration, Winston Churchill’s visit, and the Commonwealth’s role in supporting the establishment of a Jewish state.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
