Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Britain seeking mission in Gulf
Goal to protect ships from Iran
LONDON — European governments plan to develop and deploy a “maritime protection mission” to safeguard shipping in the Persian Gulf after Iran’s seizure of a British-flagged tanker in the region last week.
Briefing Parliament on Monday, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt accused Iran of “an act of state piracy” that must be met with a coordinated international reaction.
Iranian officials have suggested the Stena Impero was seized and taken to an Iranian port in response to Britain’s role in seizing an Iranian oil tanker, the Grace 1, two weeks earlier off the coast of Gibraltar, a British overseas territory on the southern tip of Spain. Hunt countered that, under international law, Iran had no right to stop the Stena Impero or to board it.
Hunt announced few details of the proposed protection mission, but he said Britain’s European allies will play a major role in keeping shipping lanes open. One-fifth of all global crude exports pass through the narrow strait between Iran and Oman.
“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,” Hunt said.
The foreign secretary said Iran must understand that its actions will only lead to a bigger Western military footprint in the region — “not because we wish to increase tensions, but simply because freedom of navigation is a principle Britain and its allies will always defend.”
Tension with Iran has been rising since the U.S. pulled out of an international nuclear deal and imposed new sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy. Hunt said Britain won’t be taking part in the “maximum pressure” policy of President Donald Trump’s administration, adding the U.K. remains committed to the 2015 nuclear pact.
It was unclear which countries will join the protection force or how quickly it can be put in place. Hunt said he had consulted with foreign ministers of Oman, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Spain and Denmark.
The tanker crisis is unfolding in the final days of British Prime Minister Theresa May’s leadership. The Conservative Party plans to name her successor today, and the new prime minister — either Hunt or Boris Johnson — is expected to take office Wednesday.
As the nuclear deal between Tehran and several world powers unravels, the U.S. has expanded its military presence in the region. Iran has in turn begun openly exceeding the uranium enrichment levels set in the accord to try to pressure Europe into alleviating the pain caused by the sanctions.
In June, Iran shot down an American drone in the Strait of Hormuz, and Trump came close to retaliating with airstrikes. The U.S. said it downed an Iranian drone just days ago. As tension has heightened in recent weeks, the U.K. navy has escorted some tankers out of the region.
CREW SEEN ON VIDEO
Iran released video showing the ship’s crew for the first time Monday, in an apparent attempt to show they were unharmed.
In the newly released video, the Stena Impero crew is seen dressed in red uniforms and seated around a table on board as an unidentified Iranian man is heard thanking them for their cooperation. A cameraman is heard telling them not to look at the camera.
It wasn’t clear whether the crew was under duress or was forced to take part in the filming.
Other shots show a man checking on the ship, with the crew sharing a laugh and talking next to a coffee machine inside the vessel. The crew’s chefs are seen preparing food. Another video released by Iran’s state broadcaster shows the nation’s flag hoisted on the ship’s bridge.
Although the Stena Impero had a British flag, there are no British citizens among the vessel’s 23 crew members. Most are Indian, and others are Filipino, Russian or Latvian citizens.
Meanwhile, officials in Gibraltar say the Iranian ship’s crew has been kept on board the vessel since its seizure July 4. Four Indian crew members, including the ship’s captain, were arrested, but not charged, and were then released on bail. The crew is composed of Indian, Pakistani and Ukrainian citizens.
Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said there are diplomatic solutions to the current crisis, but he also defended Iran’s actions.
“When you illegally seize a ship in Gibraltar … we don’t deem it as necessary to show tolerance,” he said. “Some countries have asked for the immediate release of the British tanker. Well, we ask those countries to make the same request to Britain first.”
Britain said it acted lawfully off the Gibraltar coast to prevent illegal oil shipments to Syria that would have violated European Union sanctions. But Britain said Iran broke international maritime law by forcing the Stena Impero to change course and go to Iran.
Iran denies that Syria was the destination for the Grace 1, which a court in Gibraltar has ordered detained for another 30 days.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Stena Impero was in violation of “international law on safe passage” in the Strait of Hormuz on the day it was seized. Speaking Monday during a visit to Nicaragua, he said the British ship had “turned off its signaling” for longer than is allowed and “was passing through the wrong channels.”
Britain said the Stena Impero was in Omani waters at the time, an argument that Iran disputes.