Britain caught between leaving EU and its bid for coalition navy
Britain faces the daunting task of assembling a proposed European naval force to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz as an ardent Brexiteer assumes power and divergences with London’s western allies grow over how to best respond to Iranian threats.
“The British are leaving Europe with arguments that are seen as false,” a source working for an EU government told
The National. “Why should EU member states follow them into action that would escalate
the situation with Iran, which none want?”
The source was speaking as Boris Johnson won his Conservative Party’s leadership election to succeed Theresa May as prime minister.
As part of its Brexit preparations, in March Britain handed to Spain command of the Atalanta, a European antipiracy operation off the coast of Somalia.
Now London wants to tailor another continental coalition against a potentially far more lethal foe.
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced on Monday that Britain is seeking to set up a European maritime formation to escort tankers in the Strait of Hormuz in response to Iran seizing the
Stena Impero, a British-flagged tanker last week.
Mr Hunt said that the capture of the Stena Impero as it sailed through the strait was “state piracy”.
The action followed the UK’s seizure of the Grace 1 off Gibraltar this month.
Britain said the Iranian tanker was supplying crude oil to the Syrian government in contravention of EU sanctions.
It was the first time a European country had seriously challenged Iranian backing for President Bashar Al Assad.