Kamis, 11 Juli 2019

Strait of Hormuz: Iranian boats 'tried to intercept British tanker' - BBC News

Iranian boats tried to impede a British oil tanker near the Gulf - before being driven off by a Royal Navy ship, the Ministry of Defence has said.

HMS Montrose, a British frigate shadowing the BP-owned tanker, was forced to move between the three boats and the tanker, a spokesman said.

He described the Iranians' actions as "contrary to international law".

Iran had threatened to retaliate for the seizure of one of its own tankers, but denied any attempted seizure.

Last week, British Royal Marines helped the authorities in Gibraltar seize an Iranian tanker because of evidence it was carrying oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions.

A spokesman for the Royal Gibraltar Police said they had arrested the Indian captain and chief officer of the Iranian tanker on Thursday, on suspicion of breaching EU sanctions, but neither had been charged.

On Wednesday boats believed to belong to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) approached the British Heritage tanker and tried to bring it to a halt as it was moving out of the Gulf into the Strait of Hormuz.

Guns on HMS Montrose were trained on the Iranian boats as they were ordered to back off, US media reported. The boats heeded the warning and no shots were fired.

The BBC has been told British Heritage was near the island of Abu Musa when it was approached by the Iranian boats.

Although Abu Musa is in disputed territorial waters, HMS Montrose remained in international waters throughout.

Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt said the government was concerned by the incident and urged the Iranian authorities to "de-escalate the situation".

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt added the UK would monitor the situation "very carefully".

Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokesman said the government was "committed to maintaining freedom of navigation in accordance with international law".

What does Iran say?

The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps has denied claims it tried to seize the tanker, Iranian news agencies reported. IRGC's navy said there had been no confrontation with any foreign vessels in the past 24 hours.

Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the UK made the claims "for creating tension".

"These claims have no value," Mr Zarif added, according to the Fars news agency.

Why are UK-Iran tensions escalating?

The relationship between the UK and Iran has become increasingly strained, after Britain said the Iranian regime was "almost certainly" responsible for the attacks on two oil tankers in June.

Tensions grew after the seizure of an Iranian oil tanker by authorities in Gibraltar, assisted by British Royal Marines.

On Thursday an Iranian official told the BBC the seizure was "unnecessary and non-constructive escalation by the UK".

The official claimed the oil was not bound for Syria and called for the tanker to be released.

The government of Gibraltar said it would not comment on matters relating to the vessel as it was the subject of a police investigation. It said the matter was also now in the Supreme Court.

The Port of Gibraltar's live map showed the tanker, Grace 1, remained anchored about 3km off the east coast of Gibraltar.

At the time of the Gibraltar incident, Iran summoned the British ambassador in Tehran to complain about what it said was a "form of piracy".

An Iranian official said a British oil tanker should be seized if Grace 1 was not released.

On Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani mocked the UK, calling it "scared" and "hopeless" for using Royal Navy warships to shadow another British tanker in the Gulf.

HMS Montrose had shadowed the British tanker Pacific Voyager for some of the way through the Strait of Hormuz, but that journey had passed without incident.

"You, Britain, are the initiator of insecurity and you will realise the consequences later," Mr Rouhani said.

The UK has also been pressing Iran to release British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who was jailed for five years in 2016 after being convicted for spying, which she denies.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The Royal Navy has a frigate, four minehunters and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship already stationed in a permanent Naval Support Facility in the region, at Mina Salman in Bahrain.

This is enough to provide reassurance, but probably not to deal with a crisis, BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale said.

"HMS Montrose will not be able to provide protection for every commercial vessel in the Gulf with links to the UK," he added.

"Ministers will now have to contemplate sending another Royal Navy warship to the region. But in doing so, that may only further escalate tensions with Iran, which is something the government wants to avoid."

The Ministry of Defence confirmed Royal Marines were on board HMS Montrose and said this was normal for frigates and destroyers deployed to the Gulf.

Can ships in the area avoid Iranian waters?

The Strait of Hormuz, through which all ships must pass to enter the Gulf, is so narrow - just 21 nautical miles (39km) at its narrowest - that Iranian and Omani territorial waters meet in the middle.

So instead of sailing through international waters, ships must pass through Iranian or Omani territory which both extend 12 nautical miles out from their coasts.

Ships do this under something called Rights of Straits Passage - part of a UN convention which gives ships free passage through the world's chokepoints like the Strait of Gibraltar and the Malacca Strait.

In the case of the Strait of Hormuz, shipping is channelled through two lanes heading in opposite directions, each one two nautical miles wide.

This is called the Traffic Separation Scheme.

Both Iran and the US Navy deploy warships to patrol this area and have narrowly avoided confrontation on several occasions.

Once ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz and enter the Gulf they need to be wary of a contested area around the islands of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs.

These are claimed by both Iran and the UAE but occupied solely by Iranian forces.

Could the UK-Iran situation get worse?

Iran appears to have been attempting to make good on its threat against British-flagged vessels in the wake of the seizure of an Iranian tanker off Gibraltar.

But though this incident has a specifically bilateral dimension, it is also a powerful reminder that the tensions in the Gulf have not gone away.

And with every sign that the dispute over the nuclear agreement with Iran is set to continue, things may only get worse.

The episode may add some impetus to US-brokered efforts to muster an international naval force in the Gulf to protect international shipping.

But most worrying of all, it shows that elements within the Iranian system - the Revolutionary Guard Corps's naval arm, or whatever - are intent on stoking the pressure.

This inevitably plays into President Trump's hands as Britain and its key European partners struggle to keep the nuclear agreement alive.

What we know about British Heritage

It is understood British Heritage was not carrying cargo at the time of the incident with the Iranian boats.

A spokesman for BP said: "Our top priority is the safety and security of our crews and vessels.

"While we are not commenting on these events, we thank the Royal Navy for their support."

The vessel is registered at the port of Douglas, in the Isle of Man.

What are US-Iran tensions about?

The US has blamed Iran for attacks on six oil tankers in May and June.

On Wednesday the chairman of the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it wanted to create a multi-national military coalition to safeguard waters around Iran and Yemen.

The news followed the Trump administration's decision to pull out of an international agreement on Tehran's nuclear programme and reinforce punishing sanctions against Iran.

European allies to the US, including the UK, have not followed suit.

Iran's ambassador to the UN has insisted Europeans must do more to compensate Tehran for economic losses inflicted by US sanctions.

Tehran has begun to nudge the levels of its enriched uranium beyond the limits of a nuclear deal agreed with a group of world powers, in small and calculated steps.

Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC, Iran would move to the "third phase" of its stepped-up uranium enrichment programme unless the Europeans kept promises to uphold the economic benefits of the accord.

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48946051

2019-07-11 15:17:17Z
CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay00ODk0NjA1MdIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNDg5NDYwNTE

Iranian boats 'tried to intercept British tanker' - BBC News

Iranian boats tried to impede a British oil tanker near the Gulf - before being driven off by a Royal Navy ship, the Ministry of Defence has said.

HMS Montrose, a British frigate shadowing the BP-owned tanker, was forced to move between the three boats and the tanker, a spokesman said.

He described the Iranians' actions as "contrary to international law".

Iran had threatened to retaliate for the seizure of one of its own tankers, but denied any attempted seizure.

Boats believed to belong to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) approached the tanker, British Heritage, and tried to bring it to a halt as it was moving out of the Gulf into the Strait of Hormuz.

Guns on HMS Montrose were trained on the Iranian boats as they were ordered to back off, US media reported. The boats heeded the warning and no shots were fired.

The BBC has been told British Heritage was near the island of Abu Musa when it was approached by the Iranian boats.

Although Abu Musa is in disputed territorial waters, HMS Montrose remained in international waters throughout.

Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt said the government was concerned by the incident and urged the Iranian authorities to "de-escalate the situation".

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt added the UK would monitor the situation "very carefully".

Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokesman said the government was "committed to maintaining freedom of navigation in accordance with international law".

What does Iran say?

The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps has denied claims it tried to seize the tanker, Iranian news agencies reported. IRGC's navy said there had been no confrontation with any foreign vessels in the past 24 hours.

Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the UK made the claims "for creating tension".

"These claims have no value," Mr Zarif added, according to the Fars news agency.

Why are UK-Iran tensions escalating?

The relationship between the UK and Iran has become increasingly strained, after Britain said the Iranian regime was "almost certainly" responsible for the attacks on two oil tankers in June.

Last week, British Royal Marines helped the authorities in Gibraltar seize an oil tanker because of evidence it was carrying Iranian crude oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions.

On Thursday an Iranian official told the BBC the seizure was "unnecessary and non-constructive escalation by the UK".

The official claimed the oil was not bound for Syria and called for the tanker to be released.

The government of Gibraltar said it would not comment on matters relating to the vessel as it was the subject of a police investigation. It said the matter was also now in the Supreme Court.

The Port of Gibraltar's live map showed the tanker, Grace 1, remained anchored about 3km off the east coast of Gibraltar.

At the time of the Gibraltar incident, Iran summoned the British ambassador in Tehran to complain about what it said was a "form of piracy".

An Iranian official said a British oil tanker should be seized if Grace 1 was not released.

On Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani mocked the UK, calling it "scared" and "hopeless" for using Royal Navy warships to shadow another British tanker in the Gulf.

HMS Montrose had shadowed the British tanker Pacific Voyager for some of the way through the Strait of Hormuz, but that journey had passed without incident.

"You, Britain, are the initiator of insecurity and you will realise the consequences later," Mr Rouhani said.

The UK has also been pressing Iran to release British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who was jailed for five years in 2016 after being convicted for spying, which she denies.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The Royal Navy has a frigate, four minehunters and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship already stationed in a permanent Naval Support Facility in the region, at Mina Salman in Bahrain.

This is enough to provide reassurance, but probably not to deal with a crisis, BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale said.

"HMS Montrose will not be able to provide protection for every commercial vessel in the Gulf with links to the UK," he added.

"Ministers will now have to contemplate sending another Royal Navy warship to the region. But in doing so, that may only further escalate tensions with Iran, which is something the government wants to avoid."

The Ministry of Defence confirmed Royal Marines were on board HMS Montrose and said this was normal for frigates and destroyers deployed to the Gulf.

Can ships in the area avoid Iranian waters?

The Strait of Hormuz, through which all ships must pass to enter the Gulf, is so narrow - just 21 nautical miles (39km) at its narrowest - that Iranian and Omani territorial waters meet in the middle.

So instead of sailing through international waters, ships must pass through Iranian or Omani territory which both extend 12 nautical miles out from their coasts.

Ships do this under something called Rights of Straits Passage - part of a UN convention which gives ships free passage through the world's chokepoints like the Strait of Gibraltar and the Malacca Strait.

In the case of the Strait of Hormuz, shipping is channelled through two lanes heading in opposite directions, each one two nautical miles wide.

This is called the Traffic Separation Scheme.

Both Iran and the US Navy deploy warships to patrol this area and have narrowly avoided confrontation on several occasions.

Once ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz and enter the Gulf they need to be wary of a contested area around the islands of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs.

These are claimed by both Iran and the UAE but occupied solely by Iranian forces.

Could the UK-Iran situation get worse?

Iran appears to have been attempting to make good on its threat against British-flagged vessels in the wake of the seizure of an Iranian tanker off Gibraltar.

But though this incident has a specifically bilateral dimension, it is also a powerful reminder that the tensions in the Gulf have not gone away.

And with every sign that the dispute over the nuclear agreement with Iran is set to continue, things may only get worse.

The episode may add some impetus to US-brokered efforts to muster an international naval force in the Gulf to protect international shipping.

But most worrying of all, it shows that elements within the Iranian system - the Revolutionary Guard Corps's naval arm, or whatever - are intent on stoking the pressure.

This inevitably plays into President Trump's hands as Britain and its key European partners struggle to keep the nuclear agreement alive.

What we know about British Heritage

It is understood British Heritage was not carrying cargo at the time of the incident with the Iranian boats.

A spokesman for BP said: "Our top priority is the safety and security of our crews and vessels.

"While we are not commenting on these events, we thank the Royal Navy for their support."

The vessel is registered at the port of Douglas, in the Isle of Man.

What are US-Iran tensions about?

The US has blamed Iran for attacks on six oil tankers in May and June.

On Wednesday the chairman of the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it wanted to create a multi-national military coalition to safeguard waters around Iran and Yemen.

The news followed the Trump administration's decision to pull out of an international agreement on Tehran's nuclear programme and reinforce punishing sanctions against Iran.

European allies to the US, including the UK, have not followed suit.

Iran's ambassador to the UN has insisted Europeans must do more to compensate Tehran for economic losses inflicted by US sanctions.

Tehran has begun to nudge the levels of its enriched uranium beyond the limits of a nuclear deal agreed with a group of world powers, in small and calculated steps.

Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC, Iran would move to the "third phase" of its stepped-up uranium enrichment programme unless the Europeans kept promises to uphold the economic benefits of the accord.

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48946051

2019-07-11 13:30:00Z
52780330365006

U.K. Navy Thwarts Iranian Attempt to Block BP Tanker - The Wall Street Journal

The HMS Montrose, pictured above, issued verbal warnings to the Iranian ships, the British Defense Ministry said. Photo: handout/Reuters

A British warship trained its guns on three Iranian vessels that tried to block the passage of a U.K.-flagged oil tanker through the Persian Gulf, the country’s Defense Ministry said, a confrontation that comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.

The three Iranian ships tried on Wednesday to impede the British Heritage, a tanker carrying oil for British oil giant BP PLC, but were turned away by the HMS Montrose, the British Defense Ministry said in statement Thursday.

The U.S. and U.K. have accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of mounting assaults on vessels carrying oil through the Strait of Hormuz in recent months. However, Wednesday’s incident marks the first time since tensions flared earlier this year between the U.S. and Iran that a Western warship has come close to military engagement with Iranian naval forces.

Heated Confrontation

Iranian ships attempted to block a BP tanker but were stopped by a British naval vessel.

iran

July 10

Incident

kuwait

bahrain

June 13

Attacks

qatar

u.a.e.

oman

200 miles

saudi

arabia

200 km

Note: Locations appoximate

Source: MarineTraffic.com

Sepahnews.com, an Iranian news website tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful military group in Iran, denied the unit’s forces had tried to detain the ship.

The British government didn’t identify the types of Iranian vessels involved and didn’t accuse the ships of seeking to seize the tanker. It wasn’t clear why the Iranian vessels were near the tanker or what their motives were.

The U.S. military was aware of the incident, said Navy Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for the U.S. Central Command. “Threats to international freedom of navigation require an international solution. The world economy depends on the free flow of commerce, and it is incumbent on all nations to protect and preserve this linchpin of global prosperity.”

The incident could accelerate a U.S. attempt to build a coalition of states to share the burden of protecting commercial vessels near Iranian waters. It could also further rattle the oil market and destabilize shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a third of the world’s seaborne crude moves from countries such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

WSJ Podcast

Front-month West Texas Intermediate futures recently were up 0.5% to $60.74, while Brent futures were 0.6% higher at $67.40.

Iran and the U.S. have been locked in bitter standoff since the spring. The White House last year pulled out of a 2015 agreement that sought to contain Iran’s nuclear capabilities and in April said it would use sanctions to force “Iran’s oil exports to zero”. The Trump administration has slapped sanctions on Iranian individuals and institutions, including the IRGC, in an effort to force Tehran to cease aggressive activities in the Middle East and negotiate a new nuclear pact.

Tehran has responded by taking steps to breach the 2015 agreement and modestly expand its nuclear program.

Iranian officials have threatened to retaliate, with one senior official suggesting seizing a British ship in the Persian Gulf after U.K. forces last week commandeered an Iranian ship off the coast of Gibraltar. That ship was carrying oil bound for Syria in what U.K. officials said breached European Union sanctions on sales of oil to the country. Tehran has denied that the tanker was headed to Syria and called its seizure illegal because Iran isn’t subject to a European oil embargo.

Related

(From June 24, 2019) As tensions between the U.S. and Iran rise, a series of incidents has put a strategic maritime waterway back into the spotlight: The Strait of Hormuz. WSJ’s John Simons explains. Photo: Getty Images

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday warned the U.K., according to Iran’s Press TV. “You are the ones initiating insecurity, and will come to realize its consequences in the future,” he said.

On Thursday, Gen. Ali Fadavi, a deputy guards commander, said the U.K. and U.S. “will regret” detaining the ship carrying Iranian cargo, according to the semiofficial Fars news agency.

“If the enemies would have done the smallest calculation, they would not have taken such action,” he said. He didn’t comment on the U.K.’s allegations that Iranian vessels tried to block the British Heritage’s passage through the Persian Gulf a day earlier.

The British Heritage had been on its way to pick up a cargo of oil from Basra port in southern Iraq when it changed course earlier this week, without loading, over fears it would be seized by Iranian forces following Tehran’s threats. The tanker stopped off the coast of Saudi Arabia, and was located off the coast of Oman early Thursday morning, according to MarineTraffic.com.

After the three Iranian ships approached the British Heritage, the HMS Montrose trained its guns at the vessels and issued verbal warnings for them to back away, said the U.K. Defense Ministry. The three ships complied.

Share Your Thoughts

How do you think the U.S. should react to the incident in the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the U.K.? Join the conversation below.

A spokesman for the ministry added that the British Heritage had since left the Persian Gulf.

Britain has maintained a naval presence in the region for some time. The HMS Montrose has been in the Persian Gulf since late 2018. The U.K. currently has four minesweepers deployed there.

A spokeswoman for the Defense Ministry said she wouldn’t comment on whether the government planned to increase its naval presence in the Gulf. BP declined to comment further on the event.

BP is a partner in the development of Iraq’s Rumaila, the world’s third-largest producing field, and it shipped around 50,000 barrels a day of Iraqi oil in 2018, via the Strait of Hormuz.

“We’ve just got to be really careful about our ships,” BP Chief Executive Bob Dudley said at an event at London-based think tank Chatham House on Wednesday, in relation to Iran’s threats.

The U.S. also has accused Iran of attacking tankers in the Gulf of Oman—which Tehran denied—and said Iran shot down a U.S. spy drone in the area. Tehran said the unmanned aerial vehicle was inside Iranian airspace when it was downed.

The U.K. has backed the U.S. assertion that Iran attacked the ships. But London has been at odds with the White House over its decision to pull out of the nuclear deal, and British officials are working with European nations on how to salvage the accord.

The attacks on tankers have roiled oil markets and increased the costs of transporting crude and other products in and out of the Persian Gulf.

The U.S. has worked in recent weeks on a plan for deterring attacks on tankers that calls for ships from Arab, Asian and other foreign nations to stand watch in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman while maritime patrol planes fly overhead.

Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E., which export a large amount of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, have backed such a plan.

“This idea has to be thought out,” said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a political scientist and former professor in the U.A.E. “Gulf states would be happy to see this internationalization of Gulf security.”

Military analysts say the threat is clear. The Revolutionary Guard Corps is equipped to swarm hostile vessels with fast boats armed with torpedoes and short-range missiles and small patrol craft equipped with machine guns and rocket launchers.

Military escorts in the region have a precedent. During the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, the two countries attacked each other’s ships in the Gulf and Iran eventually began targeting foreign-flagged vessels. The assaults subsided when the U.S. escorted and reflagged foreign tankers under its ensign.

Write to Rory Jones at rory.jones@wsj.com and Max Colchester at max.colchester@wsj.com

Corrections & Amplifications
An earlier version incorrectly stated Rory Jones is in Tehran. He’s in Dubai. (July 11, 2019)

Copyright ©2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://www.wsj.com/articles/three-iranian-vessels-tried-to-block-u-k-ship-from-passing-through-strait-of-hormuz-11562822874

2019-07-11 12:33:00Z
CAIiECLwQE7CCStAH17DStu10V0qGAgEKg8IACoHCAow1tzJATDnyxUwmK20AQ

Iranian Ships Try to Block U.K. Tanker in Strait of Hormuz - The Wall Street Journal

The HMS Montrose, pictured above, issued verbal warnings to the Iranian ships, the British Defense Ministry said. Photo: handout/Reuters

A British warship trained its guns on three Iranian vessels that tried to block the passage of a U.K.-flagged oil tanker through the Persian Gulf, the country’s Defense Ministry said, a confrontation that comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.

The three Iranian ships tried on Wednesday to impede the British Heritage, a tanker carrying oil for British oil giant BP PLC, but were turned away by the HMS Montrose, the British Defense Ministry said in statement Thursday.

The U.S. and U.K. have accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of mounting assaults on vessels carrying oil through the Strait of Hormuz in recent months. However, Wednesday’s incident marks the first time since tensions flared earlier this year between the U.S. and Iran that a Western warship has come close to military engagement with Iranian naval forces.

Heated Confrontation

Iranian ships tried to capture a BP tanker, but were stopped by a British naval vessel.

iran

July 10

Incident

kuwait

bahrain

June 13

Attacks

qatar

u.a.e.

oman

200 miles

saudi

arabia

200 km

Note: Locations appoximate<span class="g-cstyle0">:</span>

Source: MarineTraffic.com

Sepahnews.com, an Iranian news website tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful military group in Iran, denied the unit’s forces had tried to detain the ship. The British government didn’t identify the types of Iranian vessels involved.

The U.S. military was aware of the incident, said Navy Captain Bill Urban, spokesman for the U.S. Central Command. “Threats to international freedom of navigation require an international solution. The world economy depends on the free flow of commerce, and it is incumbent on all nations to protect and preserve this linchpin of global prosperity.”

On Thursday, Gen. Ali Fadavi, a deputy guards commander, said the U.K. and U.S. “will regret” detaining the ship carrying Iranian cargo, according to the semiofficial Fars news agency.

“If the enemies would had done the smallest calculation, they would not have taken such action,” he said, but didn’t comment on the U.K.’s allegations that Iranian vessels tried to block the British Heritage’s passage through the Persian Gulf a day earlier.

The incident could accelerate a U.S. attempt to build a coalition of states to share the burden of protecting commercial vessels near Iranian waters. It could also further rattle the oil market and destabilize shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a third of the world’s seaborne crude moves from countries such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

WSJ Podcast

Front-month West Texas Intermediate futures recently were up 0.5% to $60.74, while Brent futures were 0.6% higher at $67.40.

Iran and the U.S. have been locked in bitter standoff since the spring. The White House last year pulled out of a 2015 agreement that sought to contain Iran’s nuclear capabilities and in April said it would use sanctions to force “Iran’s oil exports to zero”. The Trump administration has slapped sanctions on Iranian individuals and institutions, including the IRGC, in an effort to force Tehran to cease aggressive activities in the Middle East and to negotiate a new nuclear pact.

Tehran has responded by taking steps to breach the 2015 agreement and modestly expand its nuclear program.

Iranian officials have threatened to seize a British ship in the Persian Gulf after U.K. forces last week commandeered an Iranian ship off the coast of Gibraltar. That ship was carrying oil bound for Syria in what U.K. officials said breached European Union sanctions on sales of oil to the country. Tehran has denied that the tanker was headed to Syria and called its seizure illegal because Iran isn’t subject to a European oil embargo.

Related

(From June 24, 2019) As tensions between the U.S. and Iran rise, a series of incidents has put a strategic maritime waterway back into the spotlight: The Strait of Hormuz. WSJ’s John Simons explains. Photo: Getty Images

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday warned the U.K., according to Iran’s Press TV. “You are the ones initiating insecurity, and will come to realize its consequences in the future,” he said.

The British Heritage had been on its way to pick up a cargo of oil from Basra port in southern Iraq when it changed course earlier this week, without loading, over fears it would be seized by Iranian forces following Tehran’s threats. The tanker stopped off the coast of Saudi Arabia, and was located off the coast of Oman early Thursday morning, according to MarineTraffic.com.

After the three Iranian ships approached the British Heritage, the HMS Montrose trained its guns at the vessels and issued verbal warnings for them to back away, said the U.K. Defense Ministry. The three ships complied.

Share Your Thoughts

How do you think the U.S. should react to the incident in the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the U.K.? Join the conversation below.

A spokesman for the ministry added that the British Heritage had since left the Persian Gulf.

Britain has maintained a naval presence in the region for some time. The HMS Montrose has been in the Persian Gulf since late 2018. The U.K. currently has four minesweepers deployed there.

A spokeswoman for the Defense Ministry said she wouldn’t comment on whether the government planned to increase its naval presence in the Gulf. BP declined to comment further on the event.

BP is a partner in the development of Iraq’s Rumaila, the world’s third-largest producing field, and it shipped around 50,000 barrels a day of Iraqi oil in 2018, via the Strait of Hormuz.

“We’ve just got to be really careful about our ships,” BP Chief Executive Bob Dudley said at an event at London-based think tank Chatham House on Wednesday, in relation to Iran’s threats.

The U.S. also has accused Iran of attacking tankers in the Gulf of Oman—which Tehran denied—and said Iran shot down a U.S. spy drone in the area. Tehran said the unmanned aerial vehicle was inside Iranian airspace when it was downed.

The U.K. has backed the U.S. assertion that Iran attacked the ships. But London has been at odds with the White House over its decision to pull out of the nuclear deal, and British officials are working with European nations on how to salvage the accord.

The attacks on tankers have roiled oil markets and increased the costs of transporting crude and other products in and out of the Persian Gulf.

The U.S. has worked in recent weeks on a plan for deterring attacks on tankers that calls for ships from Arab, Asian and other foreign nations to stand watch in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman while maritime patrol planes fly overhead.

Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E., which export a large amount of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, have backed such a plan.

“This idea has to be thought out,” said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a political scientist and former professor in the U.A.E. “Gulf states would be happy to see this internationalization of Gulf security.”

Military analysts say the threat is clear. The Revolutionary Guard Corps is equipped to swarm hostile vessels with fast boats armed with torpedoes and short-range missiles and small patrol craft equipped with machine guns and rocket launchers.

Military escorts in the region have a precedent. During the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, the two countries attacked each other’s ships in the Gulf and Iran eventually began targeting foreign-flagged vessels. The assaults subsided when the U.S. escorted and reflagged foreign tankers under its ensign.

Write to Rory Jones at rory.jones@wsj.com and Max Colchester at max.colchester@wsj.com

Corrections & Amplifications
An earlier version incorrectly stated Rory Jones is in Tehran. He’s in Dubai. (July 11, 2019)

Copyright ©2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://www.wsj.com/articles/three-iranian-vessels-tried-to-block-u-k-ship-from-passing-through-strait-of-hormuz-11562822874

2019-07-11 11:17:00Z
CAIiECLwQE7CCStAH17DStu10V0qFwgEKg8IACoHCAow1tzJATDnyxUw54IY

Iranian boats in bid to seize UK tanker in the Gulf: Officials - Al Jazeera English

Three Iranian vessels unsuccessfully tried to impede the passage of a British commercial vessel through the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom has said.

The British government said in a statement on Thursday that the Iranian ships on Wednesday only turned away after receiving "verbal warnings" from a UK navy vessel accompanying the commercial vessel British Heritage.

"We are concerned by this action and continue to urge the Iranian authorities to deescalate the situation in the region," the statement said.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif rejected the accusation, according to Fars news agency.

"Apparently the British tanker has passed. What they have said themselves and the claims that have been made are for creating tension and these claims have no value," he said.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also denied involvement in the incident, according to a statement issued on Thursday.

Earlier on Thursday, two US officials told Reuters news agency that five boats believed to belong to the Guards were involved in the incident.

"The Royal Navy HMS Montrose, which was also there, pointed its guns at the boats and warned them over radio, at which point they dispersed," one of the officials with the knowledge of the incident said.

"It was harassment and an attempt to interfere with the passage," the other official said.

The US military confirmed the incident in a statement but did not share any further details.

Al Jazeera's Zein Basravi, reporting from Tehran, said it was not clear whether Iran was carrying out a probing attack or "a rogue group of military on the ground".

"The fact is that while this is possible, it is unlikely," he said.

"Commanding control structures not only in the civilian government but especially in the military government and especially in the IRGC is very linear and it is unlikely that anything like this would have happened without clear directives through commanding officers, through linear lines of ranks," he added.

Can Europe save the Iran nuclear deal?

Tensions in the region

The incident came after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday warned that the UK would face "repercussions" for seizing an Iranian oil tanker last week off the coast of Gibraltar.

The British government said the tanker was believed to be carrying two million barrels of crude oil to Syria in breach of European Union sanctions against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Tehran denied that the tanker was bound for Syria and its seizure as "piracy". It also summoned the British envoy in Iran to protest against the action.

Iran denied the tanker was headed to Syria, a close ally of Tehran, while Iranian President  said Britain would face "consequences" over the tanker seizure.

Tensions between Iran and the US and its allies have risen sharply since Washington last year unilaterally withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal signed between Tehran  and world powers in 2015.

Since then, the administration of US President Donald Trump has stepped up economic sanctions against Iran and moved to bring the country's oil exports to zero as part of a "maximum pressure" policy to make it halt actions that it said undermined regional security.

Iran has responded to the sanctions by starting to exceed limits put on its nuclear activities under the 2015 deal.

Iran: World powers won't get a better nuclear deal

Trump, who has said he will not allow Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons, said on Wednesday that "Iran has long been secretly enriching uranium".

Tehran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons, says its latest measures were within the framework of the deal and dubbed the US sanctions "economic terrorism".

Several oil tankers were attacked in waters near Iran's southern coast in May and June, for which the US blamed Iran. Tehran denied any involvement.

Last month, Iran shot down a US drone near the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Trump to order retaliatory air raid, only to call them off at the last minute.

On Tuesday, the US said it was working to form a military coalition to safeguard strategic waters off Iran and Yemen.

Squeezed by sanctions, Iran has delivered threats to disrupt oil flow through the strategic Strait. Last year, an IRGC commander had threatened to block all exports through the Strait if their exports were stopped.

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/iranian-boats-bid-seize-uk-tanker-gulf-officials-190711020919585.html

2019-07-11 08:49:00Z
CAIiEDYfShPQvm-UbMQvU5g4u54qFAgEKgwIACoFCAowhgIwkDgw0O8B

Iranian boats in bid to seize UK tanker in the Gulf: Officials - Al Jazeera English

Three Iranian vessels unsuccessfully tried to impede the passage of a British commercial vessel through the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom has said.

The British government said in a statement on Thursday that the Iranian ships on Wednesday only turned away after receiving "verbal warnings" from a UK navy vessel accompanying the commercial vessel British Heritage.

"We are concerned by this action and continue to urge the Iranian authorities to deescalate the situation in the region," the statement said.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif rejected the accusation, according to Fars news agency.

"Apparently the British tanker has passed. What they have said themselves and the claims that have been made are for creating tension and these claims have no value," he said.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also denied involvement in the incident, according to a statement issued on Thursday.

Earlier on Thursday, two US officials told Reuters news agency that five boats believed to belong to the Guards were involved in the incident.

"The Royal Navy HMS Montrose, which was also there, pointed its guns at the boats and warned them over radio, at which point they dispersed," one of the officials with the knowledge of the incident said.

"It was harassment and an attempt to interfere with the passage," the other official said.

The US military confirmed the incident in a statement but declined to share any further details of the incident that comes a week after an Iranian oil tanker believed to be headed to Syria was seized by British Royal Marines off Gibraltar.

Al Jazeera's Zein Basravi, reporting from Tehran, said it was not clear whether Iran was carrying out a probing attack or "a rogue group of military on the ground".

"The fact is that while this is possible, it is unlikely," he said.

"Commanding control structures not only in the civilian government but especially in the military government and especially in the IRGC is very linear and it is unlikely that anything like this would have happened without clear directives through commanding officers, through linear lines of ranks," he added.

Can Europe save the Iran nuclear deal?

Tensions in the region

Iran denied the tanker was headed to Syria, a close ally of Tehran, while Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Britain would face "consequences" over the tanker seizure.

"We are aware of the reports of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp Navy's FAC/FIAC harassment and attempts to interfere with the passage of the UK-flagged merchant vessel British Heritage today near the Strait of Hormuz," the US military's Central Command said in a statement.

Tensions between Iran and the US and its allies have risen sharply since Washington last year unilaterally withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal signed between Iran and world powers in 2015.

Since then, the Trump administration has stepped up economic sanctions against Iran and moved to bring the country's oil exports to zero as part of a "maximum pressure" policy to make Iran halt actions that it said undermined regional security.

Iran has responded to the sanctions by starting to exceed limits put on its nuclear activities under the nuclear deal.

Iran: World powers won't get a better nuclear deal

US President Donald Trump, who has said he will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, said on Wednesday that "Iran has long been secretly enriching uranium".

Tehran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons, says its latest measures were within the framework of the deal and dubbed the US sanctions "economic terrorism".

Several oil tankers were attacked in waters near Iran's southern coast in May and June, for which the US blamed Iran. Tehran denied any involvement.

Iran squeezed by sanctions has delivered threats to disrupt oil flow through the strategic Strait. Last year, an  Revolutionary Guards commander had threatened to block all exports through the Strait if their exports were stopped.

Last month, Iran shot down a US drone near the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Trump to order retaliatory air raid, only to call them off at the last minute.

On Tuesday, the US said it was working to form a military coalition to safeguard strategic waters off Iran and Yemen.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/iranian-boats-bid-seize-uk-tanker-gulf-officials-190711020919585.html

2019-07-11 08:33:00Z
CAIiEDYfShPQvm-UbMQvU5g4u54qFAgEKgwIACoFCAowhgIwkDgw0O8B

Iranian boats attempted to seize UK tanker in the Gulf: UK - Al Jazeera English

Three Iranian vessels unsuccessfully tried to impede the passage of a British commercial vessel through the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom has said.

The British government said in a statement on Thursday that the Iranian ships on Wednesday only turned away after receiving "verbal warnings" from a UK navy vessel accompanying the commercial vessel British Heritage.

"We are concerned by this action and continue to urge the Iranian authorities to deescalate the situation in the region," the statement said.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif rejected the accusation, according to Fars news agency.

"Apparently the British tanker has passed. What they have said themselves and the claims that have been made are for creating tension and these claims have no value," he said.

The Iran's Revolutionary Guards also denied involvement in the incident, according to a statement issued on Thursday.

Earlier on Thursday, two US officials told Reuters news agency that five boats believed to belong to the Guards were involved in the incident.

"The Royal Navy HMS Montrose, which was also there, pointed its guns at the boats and warned them over radio, at which point they dispersed," one of the officials with the knowledge of the incident said.

"It was harassment and an attempt to interfere with the passage," the other official said.

The US military confirmed the incident in a statement but declined to share any further details of the incident that comes a week after an Iranian oil tanker believed to be headed to Syria was seized by British Royal Marines off Gibraltar.

Al Jazeera's Zein Basravi, reporting from Tehran, said it was not clear whether Iran was carrying out a probing attack or "a rogue group of military on the ground".

"The fact is that while this is possible, it is unlikely," he said.

"Commanding control structures not only in the civilian government but especially in the military government and especially in the IRGC is very linear and it is unlikely that anything like this would have happened without clear directives through commanding officers, through linear lines of ranks," he added, referring to the Guards.

Tensions in the region

Iran denied the tanker was headed to Syria, a close ally of Tehran, while Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Britain would face "consequences" over the tanker seizure.

"We are aware of the reports of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp Navy's FAC/FIAC harassment and attempts to interfere with the passage of the UK-flagged merchant vessel British Heritage today near the Strait of Hormuz," the US military's Central Command said in a statement.

Tensions between Iran and the US and its allies have risen sharply since Washington withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal last year.

Since then, the Trump administration has stepped up economic sanctions against Iran and moved to bring the country's oil exports to zero as part of a "maximum pressure" policy to make Iran halt actions that it said undermined regional security.

Iran has responded to the sanctions by starting to breach limits put on its nuclear activities under the nuclear deal with world powers.

'Economic terrorism'

US President Donald Trump, who has said he will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, said on Wednesday that "Iran has long been secretly enriching uranium".

Tehran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons, says its latest measures were within the framework of the deal and dubbed the US sanctions "economic terrorism".

Several oil tankers were attacked in waters near Iran's southern coast in May and June, for which the US blamed Iran. Tehran denied any involvement.

Iran squeezed by sanctions has delivered threats to disrupt oil flow through the strategic Strait. Last year a Revolutionary Guards commander had threatened to block all exports through the Strait if their exports were stopped.

Last month, Iran shot down a US drone near the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Trump to order retaliatory air strikes, only to call them off.

On Tuesday, the US said it was working to form a military coalition to safeguard strategic waters off Iran and Yemen.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/iranian-boats-bid-seize-uk-tanker-gulf-officials-190711020919585.html

2019-07-11 08:21:00Z
CAIiEDYfShPQvm-UbMQvU5g4u54qFAgEKgwIACoFCAowhgIwkDgw0O8B