UK seeking European-led force to protect Gulf shipping
● Foreign Secretary announces mission to protect ships in Strait of Hormuz
Britain is to seek to put together a European-led maritime mission to protect ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz following the seizure by Iran of a Britishflagged tanker.
Following a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergencies committee, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said “constructive discussions” had taken place with a number of countries over the previous 48 hours.
In a Commons statement, Mr Hunt condemned the detention of the Stena Impero by Iranian Revolutionary Guards on Friday as an “act of state piracy”.
Britain will seek to put together a European-led maritime mission to protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced.
A further Royal Navy warship is expected to be dispatched to the region next week following the seizure by Iran of a British-flagged tanker that was denounced by Mr Hunt as an act of “state piracy”.
And he warned the Iranian regime it must get used to a “larger western military presence” on its coastline after Theresa May and her senior ministers met yesterday to discuss the UK’S response to the crisis.
It came as pictures of the international crew on board the Stena Impero tanker were released.
Mr Hunt told MPS in the Commons: “we will seek to put together a European-led maritime protection mission to support safe passage of crew and cargo in this vital region. We have had constructive discussion with a number of countries in the last 48 hours and we will discuss later this week the best way to complement this with recent US proposals in this area.
“It is with a heavy heart that we are announcing this increased international presence in the Gulf because the focus of our diplomacy has been on de-escalating tensions in the hope that such changes would not be necessary.”
He added: “If Iran continues on this dangerous path, they must accept the price will be a larger Western military presence in the waters along their coastline, not because we wish to increase tensions, but simply because freedom of navigation is a principle which Britain and its allies will always defend.”
Downing Street has been hit by claims the government “dropped the ball” by failing to prepare for Tehran’s actions against British shipping after an Iranian tanker was seized off Gibraltar by British forces.
Mrs May yesterday chaired a meeting of the government’s emergency committee Cobra to consider how to react to the tanker’s capture.
Speaking afterwards, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “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.”
The spokesman said the ship was seized under “false and illegal pretences and the Iranians should release it and its crew immediately”.
The first pictures of the crew of the tanker have been released by Iranian authorities, with some members shown sitting around a table and another two in front of a nautical instrument.
Military experts have warned that cuts to the Royal Navy had left it over-stretched, with too few warships to protect British interests.
The spokesman said: “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.
“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.”
Downing Street said there had not been a US offer to escort all UK ships in the region.
Frigate HMS Montrose is on duty in the Gulf, but was unable to prevent the seizure of the Stena Impero.
Defence minister Tobias Ellwood said: “There is much criticism about the Navy, about HMS Montrose not getting to there on time. I should actually point out that the US have five or six warships in the region, including an aircraft carrier, and in the middle of June two of their tankers were attacked, one of them set ablaze. So, this is something that affects us all.”