LONDON - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with visiting Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday and discussed ways to advance bilateral relations.

According to a statement released by the British government, the two leaders exchanged views on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and underscored the importance of preventing further escalation and restoring regional stability.

They also discussed the need for a workable plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid the economic impact of its prolonged closure and agreed to work with other parties to help restore freedom of navigation. The Strait had served as a shipping route for 20 percent of the world's oil.

Ongoing tensions in the Middle East, triggered by joint US-Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb 28, have now entered their fifth week with no clear resolution in sight.

In a major escalation, Iran has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, allowing only ships it considers non-hostile to pass. This maritime squeeze, along with damage to regional energy facilities, has pushed oil prices higher, keeping Brent Crude above 100 US dollars a barrel and up more than 50 percent since the war began.

Meanwhile, Starmer said he hoped the two sides would make further progress on migration-related issues, including returns, border security and efforts to combat people-smuggling networks.

The leaders also agreed that infrastructure rebuilding is vital to Syria's economic transition, and discussed how British businesses could contribute to rebuilding efforts, the statement said.