RTSun, 28 Jul 2019 13:13 UTC
© Reuters/Russell CheyneBritish sailors on board HMS Prince of Wales
As Tehran and London are locked in a row over tanker seizures,
Britain's proposal to send an EU naval mission to the Persian Gulf will only increase the ongoing tensions, an Iranian government spokesperson warned.
The idea of deploying a European fleet to patrol the Persian Gulf
"sends a hostile message" and is "provocative and will increase tensions," Ali Rabiei said on Sunday, as cited by Fars News Agency.
Security in the region should be maintained by the Gulf nations themselves, not foreign powers, he stressed.
Tensions between Iran and the UK began escalating on July 4, when the British Royal Marines and Gibraltar police seized the Iranian oil supertanker
Grace 1 off the southern coast of Spain. Officials in London said the ship was suspected of transporting oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions. Tehran denied any wrongdoing.
On July 19, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized British-flagged oil tanker
Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz, which it said violated maritime rules.
These incidents prompted Tehran and London to accuse each other of "piracy."On Monday, UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt called for a combined European naval mission to be sent to ensure the safety of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean.
German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said that Berlin will consider joining the mission once there is "clarity" over its form. France, Italy, and Denmark have also reportedly expressed interest in joining.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has accused foreign policy hardliners in Washington of trying to push London into a conflict with Iran "in hopes of dragging it into a quagmire." On Saturday, he warned US officials against touting the prospects of a limited military action against Tehran.
"Short war with Iran is an illusion," he said.
Comment: More from Sputnik: Second Brit warship enters gulf stoking tensions
Britain currently operates one warship in the Gulf, but the UK government came under fire this month for failing to ensure the safety of a tanker impounded by Iranian authorities. The HMS Duncan will work in the area until late August when it will be replaced by another warship.
The HMS Duncan, a Type 45 air-defence destroyer, has arrived in the Persian Gulf to escort British vessels, a week after Iranian forces seized a UK-flagged oil tanker, the British government said in a statement on Sunday. Earlier this month, the HMS Duncan was deployed in the Black Sea for Exercise Sea Breeze 2019, involving major naval drills with NATO and partner nations.
"We have relocated from an intense deployment in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, which included support to the French carrier strike group with live operations in Syria," said Tom Trent, the ship's commanding officer. "The Royal Navy continues to deliver consistent, enduring and world-class capability in the region - HMS Duncan is proud to support this vital operation and ready to play her part."
The announcement comes the same day Iran's President Rouhani described the presence of foreign forces as the main factor fueling tensions in the Middle East.
The destroyer is slated to come off duty in late August, and will be replaced later in the year by the HMS Kent, a Type 23 frigate.
Comment: More from Sputnik: Second Brit warship enters gulf stoking tensions