Britain called on Monday for a European-led naval mission to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, days after Iran seized a British-flagged tanker in what London described as an act of "State piracy" in the strategic waterway.
"Under international law, Iran had no right to obstruct the ship's passage - let alone board her. It was therefore an act of state piracy," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told parliament.
Hunt made a point of saying that the maritime protection proposal would not involve contributing European military power to back Washington's hardline stance against Iran.
The proposed new maritime protection mission "Will not be part of the U.S. maximum pressure policy on Iran because we remain committed to preserving the Iran nuclear agreement", he said.
Rs/2O646ZX.U.S. TARGETS CHINESE COMPANY. Washington's major European allies Britain, France and Germany all opposed U.S. President Donald Trump decision last year to abandon an international agreement that gave Iran access to trade in return for accepting curbs on its nuclear programme.
Iran repeatedly threatened to retaliate, culminating with its seizure of the Stena Impero on Friday using the same tactics - commandos rappelling to the deck from helicopters - that British Royal Marines had used aboard Iran's own ship.
IRAN SAYS IT HAS ARRESTED SPIES. In a separate development that could generate more tensions, Iran said it had arrested 17 spies working for the CIA and sentenced some of them to death, an announcement Trump called "Totally false".
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-iran/britain-calls-for-european-naval-mission-to-counter-irans-piracy-idUKKCN1UH172
"Under international law, Iran had no right to obstruct the ship's passage - let alone board her. It was therefore an act of state piracy," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told parliament.
Hunt made a point of saying that the maritime protection proposal would not involve contributing European military power to back Washington's hardline stance against Iran.
The proposed new maritime protection mission "Will not be part of the U.S. maximum pressure policy on Iran because we remain committed to preserving the Iran nuclear agreement", he said.
Rs/2O646ZX.U.S. TARGETS CHINESE COMPANY. Washington's major European allies Britain, France and Germany all opposed U.S. President Donald Trump decision last year to abandon an international agreement that gave Iran access to trade in return for accepting curbs on its nuclear programme.
Iran repeatedly threatened to retaliate, culminating with its seizure of the Stena Impero on Friday using the same tactics - commandos rappelling to the deck from helicopters - that British Royal Marines had used aboard Iran's own ship.
IRAN SAYS IT HAS ARRESTED SPIES. In a separate development that could generate more tensions, Iran said it had arrested 17 spies working for the CIA and sentenced some of them to death, an announcement Trump called "Totally false".
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-iran/britain-calls-for-european-naval-mission-to-counter-irans-piracy-idUKKCN1UH172
No comments:
Post a Comment