Page 8 - aruba-today-20190712

A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 12 July 2019

Britain says Iranian vessels tried to block tanker in Gulf

By AYA BATRAWY ment from the Iranian Rev-
AMIR VAHDAT olutionary Guard’s navy on
Associated Press Thursday denying any inci-
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- dent had occurred.
ates (AP) — The British navy “In the last 24 hours, there
said it prevented three Ira- were no clashes with alien
nian paramilitary vessels floats, especially British
from impeding the pas- boats,” the statement said.
sage of a British oil tanker Iran’s Foreign Minister Mo-
in the Strait of Hormuz early hammad Javad Zarif dis-
Thursday, a day after Iran’s missed the British allega-
president warned of reper- tions as “worthless,” say-
cussions for the seizure of its ing the claims “are being
own supertanker. made to create tension,”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Fars reported.
denied the allegations, say- President Hassan Rouhani
ing if it had received orders had recently warned that
to seize any ships it would Britain would face “reper-
have done so immediately. cussions” over the seizure
A U.S. aircraft was in the of the Iranian supertanker
area at the time and the last week. Authorities in Gi-
military has video imagery, braltar suspect the vessel
a U.S. official said, speaking was breaching European
on condition of anonymity In this image from file video provided by UK Ministry of Defence, British navy vessel HMS Montrose sanctions on oil shipments
to discuss security matters. escorts another ship during a mission to remove chemical weapons from Syria at sea off coast of to Syria.
The incident came at a Cyprus in February 2014. Iran had also summoned
time of heightened ten- Associated Press the British ambassador over
sions over Iran’s unraveling action and continue to Lloyd’s List said the British to Lloyd’s List. what it called the “illegal
nuclear agreement with urge the Iranian authorities Heritage had diverted from About 20% of all oil traded interception” of the ship.
world powers, signed in to de-escalate the situation its route to load its 140,000- worldwide passes through The operation to seize the
2015. Iran recently began in the region,” it added. ton cargo of crude at Bas- the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian tanker took place
breaching uranium enrich- The HMS Montrose is on a ra, Iraq, as planned on July Middle East producers. Iran one week ago at the re-
ment limits in response to three-year mission at the 4, the same day an Iranian has periodically threat- quest of the U.S. Gibraltar
the Trump administration’s British navy’s support facil- supertanker was intercept- ened to close the shipping port and law enforcement
withdrawal from the agree- ity in Bahrain, the hub of ed off Gibraltar, a British lane if it is prevented from agencies were assisted by
ment last year and its im- its naval operations east of overseas territory. It said the exporting its own oil. The Britain’s Royal Marines in
position of sweeping sanc- the Suez Canal. vessel instead headed to U.S. sanctions have largely the seizure.
tions. Russia and China, both Saudi waters where it had shut down its oil exports. The tensions have increased
In recent months, the U.S. signatories to the nuclear remained for several days. Despite the latest incident, since President Donald
has sent thousands of ad- agreement along with Brit- Since July 2, at least 20 the overall threat level for Trump’s decision last year
ditional troops, an aircraft ain, France and Germany, British-flagged ships have non-British ships using the to withdraw from the land-
carrier, B-52 bombers and called for restraint. Kremlin sailed through the Strait critical waterway has not mark nuclear agreement
advanced fighter jets to spokesman Dmitry Peskov of Hormuz, according to changed significantly, said negotiated by the Obama
the region. Washington said “freedom of naviga- Lloyd’s List Intelligence Jakob P. Larsen, head of administration. Trump has
has blamed Iran for a se- tion should be ensured in data. maritime security for BIM- since re-imposed crippling
ries of mysterious attacks the Persian Gulf and the BP said the company’s CO, the largest internation- sanctions on Iran, including
on oil tankers — charges Strait of Hormuz.” “top priority is the safety al association representing on its vital oil exports, exac-
that have been denied by The U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain and security of our crews ship owners. erbating an economic cri-
Tehran — and said it shot declined to comment on and vessels” and thanked “With what we’ve seen sis that has sent its currency
down an American mili- the incident. the Royal Navy for its sup- now I’m certain trade will plummeting.
tary surveillance drone in U.S. Central Command port. The British multination- continue in the region,” Europe has been unable
international airspace. Iran spokesman Capt. Bill Ur- al oil and gas firm declined he said from Denmark. “Of to meet Tehran’s demands
said it downed the drone ban said CENTCOM was to comment further. course ship owners will take for economic assistance to
after it veered into its own aware of reports of “ha- Shell stopped short of con- their precautions, and for offset the American sanc-
airspace. rassment and attempts to firming reports it had char- British interests those would tions.
The U.K. said in a statement interfere with” the passage tered the British Heritage probably be a little more In recent weeks, Iran be-
that the British naval vessel of the British Heritage near tanker, but told The Associ- comprehensive.” gan breaching the limits
HMS Montrose had been the Strait of Hormuz by ated Press in a statement U.S. Secretary of State Mike of the deal, both on the
accompanying the com- the Islamic Revolutionary that “safety is our top prior- Pompeo has asked Mideast stockpile of low-enriched
mercial ship, British Heri- Guard’s naval forces. ity.” A spokesman said the allies like Saudi Arabia and uranium and the level of
tage, through the narrow Threats to freedom of navi- company was monitoring the United Arab Emirates uranium enrichment. It also
Strait of Hormuz, a crucial gation require an interna- the situation closely and in past weeks to contrib- set an early September
waterway for energy ship- tional solution, Urban said. expects all vessels it char- ute financially and militarily deadline for world powers
ments . Maritime security risk firm ters to consider relevant to a Trump administration to save the agreement,
“HMS Montrose was forced Dryad Global described Department for Transport proposal called the Senti- saying it would otherwise
to position herself between the British Heritage as an guidance on shipping in nel Program — a coalition take a third step in going
the Iranian vessels and Brit- oil tanker operated by BP the area. of nations working with the beyond the deal’s limits.
ish Heritage and issue ver- and registered in the Isle of The department had al- U.S. to preserve maritime Iran maintains it is justified
bal warnings to the Iranian Man. Lloyd’s List, a publica- ready raised its risk assess- security in the Persian Gulf in breaching the limitations
vessels, which then turned tion specializing in maritime ment to the highest level and keep eyes on Iran. because the U.S. already
away,” the statement said. affairs, said Shell had char- for maritime security in Ira- The semi-official Fars news broke the deal with its uni-
“We are concerned by this tered the ship from BP. nian waterways, according agency carried a state- lateral withdrawal.q