LONDON: Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq to Downing Street on Tuesday. The leaders discussed “the broad areas of cooperation between their two countries, including defence, security and trade, which they both looked forward to strengthening,” Starmer’s office said. Starmer emphasized the urgent need for de-escalation in the Middle East and urged all parties in the region to exercise restraint. The prime minister reiterated the need for a ceasefire in Gaza, the return of Israeli hostages, and an immediate increase in the volume of humanitarian aid reaching civilians in the Gaza Strip. Both leaders agreed on the need for a two-state solution through a peace process and said they looked forward to working closely together in the future.