Boris Johnson on message in Gulf after Saudi Arabia remark

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is on a testing tour of the Middle East after he accused UK ally Saudi Arabia of "puppeteering" proxy wars in the region.

The Cabinet minister was slapped down by Downing Street over his comments, with a spokeswoman for Theresa May telling Sky News his opinions were "not the Government's views" .

The spokeswoman said Mrs May has "full confidence" in Mr Johnson and noted he will have the opportunity to set out official policy - to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia and support for its controversial military involvement in Yemen - while he is in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Mrs May spoke to Saudi King Salman during her visit to the Gulf region this week , where she assured him of "her commitment and that of her Government to enhancing and strengthening this relationship", the spokeswoman added.

Mr Johnson remained on message during a keynote speech at a regional conference in Bahrain on Friday night, as he told attendees that "any crisis in the Gulf is a crisis in Britain".

The Foreign Secretary also spoke of his "profound concern" for the people of Yemen, where a Saudi-backed coalition is launching airstrikes on Iran-aligned Shia rebels.

He said: "Force alone will not bring about a stable Yemen and that's why we in London have been working so hard with all our partners to drive that political process forwards."

A video of Mr Johnson speaking at the Med 2 conference in Rome last week revealed him saying that a lack of strong leadership meant politicians in the Middle East were "twisting and abusing religion and different strains of the same religion to further their own political objectives".

He was also recorded saying "you've got the Saudis, Iran, everybody, moving in and puppeteering and playing proxy wars".

The comments, revealed by The Guardian, go against established protocol where diplomats do not publicly criticise British allies.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "As the Foreign Secretary made very clear on Sunday, we are allies with Saudi Arabia and support them in their efforts to secure their borders and protect their people.

"Any suggestion to the contrary is wrong and misinterpreting the facts."

Peter Ford, former British ambassador to Syria, told Sky News that Mr Johnson had been handed "a warning".

He said: "I've never seen the likes of it in my 40 years of diplomatic experience and therefore Boris is skating on thin ice. But Boris being Boris he may well survive to fight another day."

Britain backs investigations into alleged breaches of human rights by the Saudi-backed coalition in Yemen, according to the PM's spokeswoman.

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Its airstrikes against Iran-aligned Shia rebels have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians as the population struggles with starvation and disease.

The UK has lent military assistance, helping the Saudis pick targets, but the Ministry of Defence insists it is to ensure the country complies with the rules of war.

Britain is also a massive exporter of arms to the country.

Mr Johnson's criticism of Gulf states is another awkward entry in his diplomatic CV which includes a number of gaffes since his appointment in July.