The UK has invited military representatives of the US, France and other European countries to a meeting in Bahrain on Wednesday in an attempt to create an international mission to safeguard shipping through the strait of Hormuz. Britain hopes it can act as bridge between the US – which has the largest military presence of a western nation in the region – and countries such as Germany, which is reluctant to getting involved in any mission led by Washington. Whitehall sources said the British proposal to create a European-led mission to prevent future tanker seizures by Iran was still alive despite the dismissal of Jeremy Hunt as as foreign secretary in Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle. But they conceded its success would be dependent on the involvement of the US, “whether at the head of or in support of the mission”. The US’s Fifth Fleet, responsible for the Gulf, is based in Bahrain. Two weeks ago Iran seized a British-flagged oil tanker, the Stena Impero. Tehran said the tanker had cut off its communications system. The UK said it was seized illegally in Omani waters. The seizure demonstrated the difficulties that Britain has in protecting its shipping in the strait of [...]
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