UK CALLS FOR ‘MARITIME ESCORT MISSION’ IN GULF
▶ British foreign secretary says the measure is necessary to protect freedom of navigation after Tehran’s ‘flagrant breach’ of international law
The UK wants to establish a European-led maritime escort mission in the Arabian Gulf after Iran last week seized a British-flagged tanker, UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said.
Speaking in Westminster, Mr Hunt said the move would not be part of Washington’s “maximum pressure” policy on Iran because Europe continues to seek a diplomatic solution to the Gulf crisis.
Mr Hunt said Iran’s “flagrant breach” of freedom of navigation necessitated “appropriate action”. There will be “no compromise on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz”, he said.
He said the Stena Impero tanker was in Omani territorial waters heading west when it was redirected by Iranian forces.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi arrived in Tehran yesterday in an effort to defuse tension in the region.
Tehran said the tanker was seized in a tit-for-tat measure after British forces stopped an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar that was on its way to Syria in breach of international sanctions.
The UK and the US hold different views on the incident, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying London must deal with the problem itself.
“The responsibility in the first instance falls to the UK to take care of their ships,” Mr Pompeo said.
His comments were at odds with a British government representative who said it would continue to “work closely” with international partners to ensure freedom of navigation.
“This is the kind of behaviour we’ve seen out of Iran for 40 years. The US has a responsibility to do our part, but the world’s also got a big role to keep these sea lanes open,” Mr Pompeo told Fox News. He said Iran’s seizure of the
Stena Impero in international waters amounted to “national piracy”.
“The high volume of ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz, up to 30 ships covering more than 100 nautical miles, makes it impossible to escort vessels individually,” a representative for UK Prime Minister Theresa May said.
“We already work closely with international partners to ensure a co-ordinated effort to defend freedom of navigation.
“This includes sharing information on threats to shipping and offering mutual protection for each other’s vessels.” The only British Navy ship in the region, the HMS Montrose, arrived too late to prevent the
Stena Impero being seized. The owners of the vessel yesterday said they made a formal request for permission to visit the 23 crew members, who are being held in Iran.
“If we want to continue playing a role on the international stage – bearing in mind that threats are changing, all happening beneath the threshold of all-out war – we must invest more in our defence, including our navy,” UK Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood said.
“The Royal Navy is too small to manage our interests across the globe, if that’s our future intentions, and that’s something the next prime minister will need to recognise,” he told Sky News.
Retired Royal Navy admiral Lord West said the “is disgracefully short of ships”.
A former commander of the UK’s maritime forces, Rear Admiral Alex Burton, told the BBC the number of British frigates and destroyers had fallen from 31 to 19 since 2005.
That affected the UK’s ability to “protect our interests round the globe”, he said.
But Mr Ellwood rejected suggestions the UK took its “eye off the ball”. “It is impossible simply to escort each individual vessel,” he said.
“Let’s place it into context – this has been a sudden increase in activity, in threat, that’s ratcheted up in the past few weeks. And it takes time to respond there.”
The UK could put pressure on the EU and UN to renew sanctions lifted when Iran signed the 2015 nuclear deal
He confirmed reports the UK was considering imposing sanctions on Iran.
The Daily Telegraph reported on Saturday that several diplomatic and economic measures were being considered, including asset freezes.
The UK could also put pressure on the EU and UN to renew sanctions that were lifted when Iran signed the 2015 nuclear deal.
London renewed its call for Iran to release the tanker and said it “was seized under false and illegal pretences”.
“We do not seek confrontation with Iran but it is unacceptable and highly escalatory to seize a ship going about legitimate business through internationally recognised shipping lanes,” a representative for Mrs May said.
Iran has been widely criticised for seizing the tanker and Oman’s foreign minister Yousuf Bin Alawi is due in Tehran on Saturday to discuss “recent regional developments” after urging Iran to release the ship.
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel Al Jubeir, described the seizure as an “attack on the freedom of navigation” and “a breach of international law”.
Kuwait’s foreign ministry, while not directly mentioning Iran, said the incident “would increase escalation and tension and put navigation safety under direct threat”.