Britain Joins US Maritime Security Mission in Gulf

Britain has joined the United States’ maritime security mission in the Gulf geared toward protecting ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. “It is vital to secure the freedom for all international shipping to navigate the Strait of Hormuz without delay, given the increased threat,” said British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. The move follows the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ seizure of a British-flagged tanker, the Stena Impero, in July. That came just days after London seized an Iranian vessel off the coast of Gibraltar that was allegedly transporting oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions. The Strait of Hormuz – through which up to one-third of the world’s global oil supply passes – has become a focal point in a standoff between Tehran and Washington, which has beefed up its military presence in the Middle East. Tensions have flared since the White House reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic following President Donald Trump’s withdrawal last year from the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal. Meanwhile, the US has accused Tehran of perpetrating attacks on six additional vessels in the Gulf, in addition to using its proxy forces to target US assets in Iraq and critical civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.