US plans military coalition in Gulf to protect allies from Iran attacks
THE US says it is planning to create an international military coalition to safeguard strategic waters off Iran and Yemen, after several attacks on tankers in the Gulf which it blamed on Tehran.
Under the plan, Washington would provide command ships and lead surveillance efforts while enlisted allies would patrol waters near those US command ships and escort commercial vessels with their nation’s flags.
Marine General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US was talking to a number of countries with the “political will” to support the plans.
“We’re engaging now with a number of countries to see if we can put together a coalition that would ensure freedom of navigation both in the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-mandab,” Gen Dunford said.
“Probably over the next couple of weeks we’ll identify which nations have the political will to support that initiative and then we’ll work directly with the militaries to identify the specific capabilities that will support that.”
Iran has long threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which almost a fifth of the world’s oil passes, if it was unable to export its oil, something Donald Trump’s administration has sought as a way to pressure Tehran to renegotiate a deal on its nuclear program.
Yesterday, the US warned world powers not to give in to “nuclear extortion” in efforts to preserve the deal, as Mr Trump promised significant new sanctions.
The US proposal for an international coalition to safeguard shipping in the Strait, at the mouth of the Gulf, has been gaining momentum since attacks in May and June against oil tankers in Gulf waters.
Last month, Iran shot down a US drone near the Strait, prompting Mr Trump to order retaliatory airstrikes, only to call them off.
Tensions have also escalated between the UK and Iran over the British Royal Marines’ seizure of an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar last Thursday.
The Islamic Republic has warned there will be a response to the incident, with Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian president, saying yesterday that Britain “will realise the consequences later”.
Authorities in Gibraltar say they have received a court order to hold on to the vessel until at least next Friday. Exerts warned that the situation would likely escalate if Britain decided to hold the vessel beyond that deadline.
Last night, Sky News reported that Royal Navy warship HMS Montrose was keeping watch over a British tanker as it crosses the Gulf because of the Iranian threat.
Some questioned whether the EU has the right to apply its sanctions on non-members. However, Leigh Hansson, partner and sanctions expert at international law firm Reed Smith, told The Daily Telegraph that the tanker seizure was a reminder of the broad reach of both US and EU sanctions regimes.
“The tanker was seized as it was deemed to be in breach of EU sanctions on Syria. Given that Iran is not a member of the EU, it might seem flawed to cite Iran as having fallen foul of EU sanctions,” she said.
“However, the vessel was seized off the coast of Gibraltar which, as a British overseas territory, is part of the EU, so EU sanctions would indeed apply.”