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Old 07-10-2019, 05:20 AM
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Arrow Iran's President accuses 'hopeless' Britain of being 'scared' and warns of 'consequen

Iran's President accuses 'hopeless' Britain of being 'scared' and warns of 'consequences' after a Royal Navy frigate was sent to shadow an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz
By: Chris Pleasance for Mailonline & Wires & Daily Mail - UK - 7-10-19
RE: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...il-tanker.html

- Iran's Hassan Rouhani goaded 'hopeless' British leaders in speech to Cabinet

- Said UK is 'the initiator of insecurity' in Persian Gulf and pledged 'consequences'

- Iran threatened to seize a UK tanker after its vessel was stopped off Gibraltar

- Royal Navy frigate was sent to escort British tanker in the Gulf on Tuesday

Iran's president taunted Britain on Wednesday as he accused 'hopeless' leaders of being 'scared' after a Royal Navy vessel was sent to escort a UK oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz.

Hassan Rouhani told a Cabinet meeting that the UK is 'the initiator of insecurity' in the Persian Gulf and 'will realise the consequences later'.

It comes after Royal Marines seized an Iranian oil tanker off the coast of Gibraltar last week, which Britain says was violating EU sanctions by carrying fuel to Syria.

Iran denies the vessel was bound for Syria and says the UK acted on behalf of the United States, which has separate sanctions in place against Tehran itself.

Map link: https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/07...2755085421.jpg
British tanker Pacific Voyager was escorted through the Strait of Hormuz yesterday by Royal Navy Frigate HMS Montrose. Britain has a second tanker, the British Heritage, which is sheltering in the Persian Gulf while Navy top brass decide what to do with it (ship positions accurate as of Tuesday)

In remarks broadcast on Iranian TV, Rouhani said: 'You (Britain) are the initiator of insecurity and you will realise the consequences later.

'Now you are so hopeless that, when one of your tankers wants to move in the region, you have to bring your frigates (to escort it) because you are scared.

'Then why do you commit such acts ? You should instead allow navigation to be safe.'

Tanker Pacific Voyager, which sails under the Isle of Man flag, was escorted through the Strait of Hormuz by HMS Montrose, a Type-23 frigate, on Tuesday.

The Montrose, based in Bahrain, has radar that allows it to track aircraft and missiles up to 120 miles away, and a missile system with a 20-mile range.

The Strait is a strategic choke-point through which around 20 per cent of the world's oil passes each day, and is partly controlled by Iran.

A second British tanker, the BP-owned British Heritage, has also halted to take refuge off the coast of Saudi Arabia following Iran's threat.

While the Navy has no immediate plans to escort the tanker, its fate is being determined at the highest levels, The Times reported.

The Navy declined to comment on whether naval protection had been requested.

Tensions have been climbing in the Middle East since the Trump Administration tore up a nuclear pact signed under Obama and reimposed sanctions on Iran last year.

They reached crisis-point earlier this year when several tankers in the Strait were damaged by explosions - which the UK and US blamed on Iran - and Iran shot down a US drone.

Iran has now blown through several limits set under the deal - including uranium stockpile limits and enriching uranium to higher levels than permitted - and accused European leaders of failing to guarantee it the economic benefits it was promised.

A diplomatic adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron held talks in Tehran Wednesday aimed at saving the 2015 deal.

Emmanuel Bonne met Rear-Admiral Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, and was set to meet with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif later on Wednesday.

Bonnes' mission is 'to try and open the discussion space to avoid an uncontrolled escalation, or even an accident,' according to French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

The accord between Iran and world powers, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), promised sanctions relief, economic benefits and an end to international isolation in return for stringent curbs on the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme.

But Tehran says it has lost patience with perceived inaction by European countries more than a year after President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the United States out of the agreement.

The European parties to the deal along with the EU's diplomatic chief on Tuesday called on Tehran to reverse breaches of the agreement.

2nd map link: https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/07...2663159437.jpg
A diagram showing recent military movements and attacks in the tense Middle East region

Iran 'must act accordingly by... returning to full JCPOA compliance without delay,' said a statement from the European Union and foreign ministers of France, Germany and Britain.

Responding to the statement, Rouhani added: 'You (Europeans) do not need to worry about Iran, your concern must be over the United States, which has violated this whole commitment and undermined international obligations.'

Meanwhile America has begun making plans to enlist allies over the next two weeks into a military coalition to safeguard strategic waters off Iran.

Under the plan, which has only been finalized in recent days, the United States would provide command ships and lead surveillance efforts for the military coalition. Allies would patrol waters near those U.S. command ships and escort commercial vessels with their nation's flags.

Marine General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, articulated those details to reporters following meetings on Tuesday about it with acting U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

'We're engaging now with a number of countries to see if we can put together a coalition that would ensure freedom of navigation both in the Straits of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab,' Dunford said.

'And so I think probably over the next couple of weeks we'll identify which nations have the political will to support that initiative and then we'll work directly with the militaries to identify the specific capabilities that'll support that.'
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O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"IN GOD WE TRUST"
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