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 By Amir Havasi with Jerome Cartillier in Washington Tehran (AFP) July 20, 2019
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Friday they had seized a British-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz for breaking "international maritime rules" as tensions mount in the highly sensitive waterway. Britain however said Iran had seized two ships in the Gulf, with Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warning of "serious consequences" if the issue was not resolved quickly. The British owner of one of the tankers, the Liberian-flagged Mesdar, said the ship had been temporarily boarded by armed personnel, but was free to leave and that all crew were "safe and well." The latest incidents came as President Donald Trump insisted Friday that the US military had downed an Iranian drone that was threatening an American naval vessel in the Strait of Hormuz -- through which nearly a third of the world's oil is transported -- despite denials from Tehran. Tensions in the Gulf have soared in recent weeks, with Trump calling off air strikes against Iran at the last minute in June after Tehran downed a US drone, and blaming Iran for a series of tanker attacks. - 'Serious consequences' - On Friday, the Stena Impero tanker "was confiscated... for failing to respect international maritime rules," the Revolutionary Guards' official website Sepahnews said. The tanker "was led to the shore and handed over to the organisation to go through the legal procedure and required investigations," it said. Tanker tracking service Marine Traffic showed that the Swedish-owned Stena Impero last signalled its location near the island of Larak at 9:00 PM local time (1630 GMT). The ship was transiting the Strait of Hormuz and in "international waters" when it was "attacked by unidentified small crafts and a helicopter," the owner said. "We are presently unable to contact the vessel which is now tracking as heading north towards Iran," a statement said. Hunt said he was "extremely concerned" by the seizure of the two vessels. "We are absolutely clear that if this situation is not resolved quickly there will be serious consequences," he told Sky News. The incident came hours after Gibraltar's Supreme Court said it would extend by 30 days the detention of an Iranian tanker seized two weeks ago on allegations that it was heading to Syria in violation of sanctions. - US says downed drone - Hours before the latest incident, Iran and the United States were caught in a new war of words. Trump on Friday reiterated a claim that Washington destroyed an Iranian drone that was threatening the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran denied the allegation, and deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi tweeted that US forces may have shot down a US drone by mistake. The Revolutionary Guards released a video Friday which they said belies the US claims. The seven-minute-long footage, apparently shot from high altitude, shows a convoy of ships which the Guards said they were tracking as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The ships in the footage could not be immediately identified, although one was similar to the USS Boxer. Earlier a US official said Washington has "very clear evidence" that it downed the drone, but gave no details. Suzanne Maloney, an Iran expert at the Brookings Institution, said the recent events involving Tehran are "the exact opposite of odd." "This is precisely how Iran negotiates: the unctuous charm of (Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad) Zarif paired with a punch in the face from the (Revolutionary Guards). They are two sides of the same coin, complementary and coordinated." As tensions soared, Tehran's arch rival Saudi Arabia announced Friday that it would once again host US troops on its soil to boost regional security. The Pentagon said the deployment "ensures our ability to defend our forces and interests in the region from emergent, credible threats." The US military also said it had patrol aircraft monitoring the Strait of Hormuz, and was developing a "multinational maritime effort" dubbed Operation Sentinel to increase surveillance and security in key Middle East waterways. The operation will "enable freedom of navigation in the region and protect vital shipping lanes," US Central Command said in a statement. - Nuclear standoff - The latest escalation comes more than a year after Washington unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement and began ratcheting up sanctions against Tehran. On Friday Trump spoke with French leader Emmanuel Macron, the White House said, with the leaders discussing "ongoing efforts to ensure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon." Earlier this month, Iran purposely overshot the deal's caps on uranium enrichment, aiming to pressure the remaining parties to make good on their promises to help prop up its economy. Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz if attacked.
A timeline of escalation in the Gulf Here is a recap: - 'Credible threat' - On May 5, the United States says it is sending an aircraft carrier strike group and a bomber task force to waters near Iran in response to "indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces". The Pentagon also sends B-52 bombers to the region and, later, an amphibious assault ship and Patriot missile defence battery. US officials do not give more details on the threats, but the move comes amid heightened tensions over Iran's nuclear programme. Washington reimposed sanctions on Tehran last year after quitting a multilateral 2015 deal meant to control its nuclear drive. On May 8, Iran announces it will drop certain commitments under the agreement, including increasing enriched uranium and heavy water production. US President Donald Trump responds with new sanctions on Iran's steel and mining sectors. - Tanker 'sabotage' - On May 12, the United Arab Emirates says four commercial oil tankers had been targeted by "acts of sabotage" in Gulf waters off its coast. Saudi Arabia says later two of its tankers suffered "significant damage" but no casualties or oil spill. The other vessels were Norwegian and Emirati. Washington and Riyadh blame Tehran, which denies involvement. A UAE investigation finds later that a "state actor" was likely responsible for the attacks, probably using limpet mines, but does not specifically blame Iran. - Tankers in flames - In the early hours of June 13, two fuel-loaded tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz towards the Indian Ocean are hit by mysterious blasts that cause major fires. One is a Norwegian vessel and the other is Japanese-owned. Their crews are rescued. The Strait is a vital corridor connecting the petroleum-rich states of the Middle East with markets around the world. Washington, London and Riyadh accuse Tehran of being behind the attacks, which it denies. - Rocket attacks on Iraq - On June 18, rockets strike an oil field in Iraq's Basra region, near a camp used by a company of US industrial conglomerate General Electric. It is the latest in a nearly week-long barrage of anonymous shelling attacks on American interests across Iraq. The incidents are not claimed, but largely originate from areas where Shiite-dominated armed groups loyal to Tehran have free rein. - US drone downed - On June 20, Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they shot down a US drone which violated Iranian airspace. The Pentagon says the drone was in international airspace and denounces an "unprovoked attack". Trump says he approved a retaliatory strike the next day but cancelled it at the last minute. On June 24, he announces "hard-hitting" financial sanctions against Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior Iranian military leaders. - Tankers seized and searched - On July 11, Britain says three Iranian military vessels had tried the previous day to "impede the passage" of a UK oil tanker in Gulf waters but were warned off by a British warship. Iran's Revolutionary Guards deny there was any confrontation, but warn that US and Britain will "strongly regret" the seizure in early July of a tanker off Gibraltar, a British overseas territory in the Mediterranean. On July 18, Iran's Guards say they have detained a "foreign tanker" and its crew for allegedly smuggling fuel. The tanker was seized south of the Iranian island of Larak, according to the Guards, who do not detail the name or provenance of the vessel. - US shoots down Iranian drone - On July 18, Trump says the US military has taken down an Iranian drone that came within 1,000 yards of one of its naval vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The USS Boxer "took defensive action" against the Iranian drone as it was "threatening the safety of the ship and the ship's crew," Trump says. Iran denies the claim and suggests American forces may have shot down their own drone by mistake. - UK-flagged tanker seized - On July 19, Iran's Guards seize British-flagged tanker Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz for "failing to respect international maritime rules". Following the seizure, UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warns of "serious consequences" unless the situation is resolved. - Saudi to host US forces again - Tehran's arch-foe Saudi Arabia announces that it will host US troops on its soil in a joint move with Washington to "preserve the security of the region and its stability". Saudi Arabia has not hosted US forces since 2003, when they withdrew following the toppling of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
UK to send third warship to Gulf London (AFP) July 16, 2019 Britain will send a third Royal Navy warship to the Gulf, the defence ministry announced Tuesday, while insisting that it did not "reflect an escalation" of tensions with Iran in the region. Britain has already sent the HMS Duncan, an air defence destroyer, to cover for frigate HMS Montrose while it undergoes maintenance in nearby Bahrain, and will also send frigate HMS Kent "later this year". Reports said it would head to the Gulf in mid-September. HMS Montrose last week warned off three Ir ... read more
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