US plans escorts for ships in Gulf

THE Pentagon is planning military escorts for vessels in the Gulf one day after armed Iranian boats threatened a British oil tanker.

The White House’s nominee to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, said Washington was attempting to put together a coalition “in terms of providing military escort, naval escort to commercial shipping.”

“I think that that will be developing over the next couple weeks,” Mr Milley told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Tensions in the Gulf have increased in the past few weeks, with Iran’s economy in free fall following the re-imposition of US sanctions after President Donald Trump pulled out from a 2015 international agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program.

The rapid chain of events further complicates Britain and other European allies’ efforts to salvage the 2015 JCPOA nuclear agreement despite the US withdrawal.

Mr Milley’s statement came after London accused Tehran on Thursday of deploying three military vessels to “impede the passage” of a 274m BP tanker, the British Heritage.

“We are concerned by this action and continue to urge the Iranian authorities to deescalate the situation in the region,” a Downing Street spokesman said.

Iran’s menacing of the BP supertanker appeared to be in retaliation for Britain’s seizure of the Iranian Grace tanker off Gibraltar on July 4. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards denied involvement in the British Heritage incident but said the US and Britain would “strongly regret” British detention of the fully loaded Iranian tanker off Gibraltar for violating sanctions on Syria, allegedly the planned recipient of its cargo.

Washington and Saudi Arabia previously blamed Iran for allegedly using limpet mines to blow holes in Gulf-area ships

WE ARE CONCERNED BY THIS ACTION AND CONTINUE TO URGE THE IRANIAN AUTHORITIES TO DE-ESCALATE THE SITUATION

in May and June, and Mr Trump came close to ordering an attack on Iran in retaliation.

British media reported that the possible deployment of more Royal Navy ships to the region was “being looked at” in the aftermath of the newest incident.

UN Secretary-general Antonio Guterres is again calling for “maximum restraint” in the Persian Gulf region and warning all parties that a new confrontation “would be a catastrophe”.

UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq reiterated the UN chief’s plea to avoid any escalation after Iranian vessels tried to block a British oil tanker in the Gulf.