British PM to Meet King Abdullah in Riyadh Friday

British Prime Minister David Cameron is expected Friday in the Saudi capital for talks with King Abdullah, SPA state news agency reported.

Cameron and the Saudi monarch will discuss "bilateral relations, and ways to strengthen them," said SPA, adding without elaborating that the two leaders will also discuss "regional and international issues of common interest."

The visit comes amid escalating tension between Iran and the international community over Tehran's nuclear program after the West threatened to impose sanctions on the Islamic republic's oil exports.

Tehran has in turn threatened to shut the strategic Strait of Hormuz -- a chokepoint for a fifth of the world's oil -- if it is attacked or if heavy sanctions are imposed.