Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband will attend high-level diplomatic discussions in Turkey on Friday focusing on the Strait of Hormuz and Saudi Arabia.

The summit follows a persistent downturn in shipping traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz compared to pre-war levels in Iran, alongside heightened hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.

Earlier this week, Britain announced an expansion of its military aid to the Saudis, deploying fighter jets to intercept Houthi drones and missiles targeted at the kingdom.

The conference brings together the European E4 grouping - the UK, France, Germany, and Italy - with the regional R4 countries of Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.

During the talks, the Foreign Secretary will highlight how Iranian operational tactics are being replicated, noting that Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia strain critical chokepoints like the Bab El-Mandeb and the Suez Canal.

Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz have increased since Trump rejected Iran’s latest…