Riyadh, July 5 (SANA)Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met on Sunday with his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani to discuss the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation in theArabian Gulfand theircountries‘ efforts to supportregional securityand stability, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The two ministers stressed during the meeting in Riyadh the importance of exchanging views on a number of issues of mutual interest, particularly the latest regional developments and theUS-Iran negotiationtrack. They also reviewed the close fraternal relations between the two countries, according to the agency.

The meeting comes as commercial traffic in theStrait of Hormuzbegins to show signs of recovery following the June 18 memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, which provided for the reopening of the strategic waterway.

The number of vessels transiting the strait more than doubled in the week following the agreement, according to shipping data. A growing number of ships are now adopting routes closer to the Omani coast, which limits Iranian influence over the waterway—especially after Iran’s earlier declaration that vessels must obtain permission and adhere to designated routes.

Iran had imposed restrictions on shipping in the strait in February, triggering a spike in global oil prices and insurance costs. The US has also deployed additional naval assets in the region to support the restoration of freedom of navigation. TheGulf Cooperation Council(GCC) has consistently affirmed that freedom of navigation is a “collective right” of all nations and that Iran’s actions threaten regional and global economic stability.

Kuwait had previously filed a complaint with theUN Security Councilover Iran’s unlawful actions affecting shipping. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are key US allies in the Gulf and have been central to efforts to restore stability in the region following the escalation in February.