Joint statement: R4 and European foreign ministers discuss Iran and Hormuz, agree on "urgent need" for de-escalation

The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia (R4) met their French, German, Italian and UK counterparts in Istanbul on 23 October. A joint release published by the UK government says they discussed "the US/Israel-Iran conflict", the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and "escalated tension in Straits of Hormuz and Bab El Mandeb and the Black Sea". The ministers "agreed on the urgent need to address regional conflicts through dialogue, diplomacy and de-escalation" and agreed to keep meeting in this format.