It enrages me to see our Navy's total incompetence yesterday in the taking of the British tanker. The area they were in is small. We have planes and ships blanketing the area. The Iranians were aware that the tankers were British, how could we not know this? We should have had F-18's off our carriers overhead in communication with the tankers.
Iran Seizes British-Flagged Oil Tanker
Mounting tensions between Tehran and the West risk further disruption of commercial shipping in the strategically vital waterway.
A second vessel, this one British managed, was boarded by armed Iranian personnel in the Persian Gulf on Friday and later freed, its U.K. managers and a British shipping official said.
Friday’s developments came hours after a court in the British territory of Gibraltar extended the detention of an Iranian oil tanker seized earlier this month by British authorities who said it was breaching European sanctions on Syria. Iran had threatened retaliation for that seizure.
Tensions have mounted steadily in the Persian Gulf as Washington has tightened economic sanctions against Iran in an effort to force Tehran to negotiate new limits on its nuclear program and military activities.
Even as Washington and Tehran both insist they don’t want a war, recent incidents have raised fears of a miscalculation that could lead to a wider armed conflict in the Middle East.
Britain’s foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said he was “extremely concerned” and would attend a crisis meeting with high-level government officials about how to respond. He said the government “wasn’t looking at military options” but, rather, diplomacy.
An Iranian maritime official told Iran’s Fars news agency that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the British tanker Stena Impero on Friday after it collided with a fishing boat. “After the accident, it became necessary to examine the reasons,” the official was quoted as saying.
The ship, carrying a crew of 23, was empty and heading to Saudi Arabia to pick up its cargo when it was approached by several unidentified small craft and a helicopter as it transited the Strait of Hormuz in international waters, said the vessel’s owner Stena AB Group.
The second ship, the Liberian-flagged Mesdar, managed by Glasgow-based Norbulk Shipping, was freed after being boarded by armed Iranian personnel and allowed to continue its voyage, Norbulk said.
European brokers said at least three supertankers were asked by their managers on Friday to halt sailings close to Iranian waters.
“The area is explosive. We are taking our two ships the hell out of there,” said a veteran Greek shipowner, who operates more than 15 tankers.
The latest ramp-up in tensions comes at a delicate time for Britain. The country, which is in the process of replacing its prime minister amid its latest attempts to exit from the European Union, could find itself diplomatically isolated as it attempts to appease both U.S. and EU foreign-policy objectives.
A video image made available by Iranian state television's English-language service, Press TV, purports to show footage released by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from its drone. Photo: ptv handout/Shutterstock
The U.K. has remained supportive of the EU decision to endorse the Iranian nuclear accord. However it is wary of alienating the U.S., which has taken a more hard-line stance on Iran.
The standoff with Iran could present an early test for Britain’s next prime minister who is set to be announced next week. Boris Johnson, who previously defended the Iranian nuclear accord, is the favorite to get the nomination.
In response to Iran’s actions, the Pentagon said Friday that U.S. military officials in the Middle East have begun contacting U.S. ships operating in the region to ensure their safety and said American planes are watching from the air. Top Defense and State department officials also met Friday on plans to institute more formal, multination patrols to safeguard commercial shipping.
The Pentagon also said that it is sending troops and military gear to Saudi Arabia as part of a move to counter Iran. The decision to send at least 500 troops had been made earlier, but was publicly announced Friday after the latest tanker incidents.
President Trump said Friday that Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.), a conservative Republican who generally opposes U.S. military intervention abroad, had asked him if could talk to Iranian officials about how to reduce tensions and that Mr. Trump had approved.
The abrupt Iranian move plunged security officials worldwide into a day of uncertainty. But the top U.S. military intelligence officer said Friday that Iran is seeking to avoid outright war, while trying to alter the status quo in which its economy appears to be steadily contracting under the pressure of U.S.-led economic sanctions.
“I think they want to break the status quo. They’re not looking to do something that is going to spiral out of control. War’s not what they’re looking for,” said Army Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Actions such as the seizing of the tanker are, in Iran’s view, proportional to actions being taken against them, Gen. Ashley said. Iranian leaders also need to project an image of power to their own people, he said, speaking to reporters at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colo.
Friday’s developments followed Iran’s rejection of the U.S. assertion that the U.S. Navy downed one of its drones in the Strait, a day after several close encounters between American warships and the Iranian military in the vital oil shipping route further raised tensions between the nations.
“We have not lost any drone in the Strait of Hormuz nor anywhere else,” Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, said on Twitter. “I am worried that USS Boxer has shot down their own [drone] by mistake!”
A helicopter takes off from the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer during its transit through Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. Photo: handout/Reuters
Mr. Trump and senior administration officials dismissed those claims. National security adviser John Bolton said there was “no question” that the downed drone was Iranian and was posing a threat to U.S. personnel.
A senior administration official said that the Pentagon had “very clear evidence” that the U.S. downed the Iranian drone but didn’t provide further details. A defense official said that the U.S. hadn’t recovered the drone.
Mr. Trump on Thursday said the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, took defensive action against a drone that was flying too close to it. He called the drone’s approach the latest “of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels operating in international waters.”
“We shot it down,” Mr. Trump said.
U.S. defense officials said the Iranian drone was downed by a new U.S. system that uses electronic and communications measures to detect the presence of a drone, helps determine if it is hostile, and can jam the signal that connects them to their remotely located pilots, causing them to crash.
The U.S. will take additional action only as a retaliatory measure, a senior administration official said Friday.
“The president has been very clear that he wants to do this through diplomatic and economic channels,” the official said. “He does not want another war in the Middle East.”
Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesman for Iran’s armed forces, was quoted by the state-run IRNA news agency on Friday as saying that all Iranian drones had safely returned to their bases after carrying out their “identification and control” mission a day earlier.
Late Friday, Iran’s Guard Corps released footage of the USS Boxer—purportedly filmed by the drone that flew close to the U.S. ship—to prove that it had returned unharmed.
Share Your Thoughts How should the U.S. respond to recent confrontations with Iran’s military? Join the conversation below.
The alleged incident occurred as the U.S. Navy sent a flotilla of warships through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday in a show of force designed to reassure allies about American commitment to the region amid flaring tensions with Iran. The narrow channel is a key shipping route leading into the Persian Gulf, with a third of the world’s seaborne oil transported through it.
The U.S. has blamed Iran for attacking or harassing commercial vessels in recent months, which Tehran has denied. Last week, Iranian boats tried to block a British-flagged tanker but were turned away by a U.K. warship. Iran denied any attempt to stop the tanker. Iran also shot down a U.S. drone over the Persian Gulf last month.
Following what it said was growing Iranian threats, the U.S. boosted its military deployments to the Middle East in May, including with an aircraft carrier and a bomber task force in the Persian Gulf.
The Trump administration announced late Friday it is developing an international force to increase surveillance and security in the region’s waterways. Nations also may escort their own flagged vessels, U.S. Central Command said. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates back the plan.
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U.S. and Iran Play a Calibrated, Yet Increasingly Dangerous Game
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are high after Iran says it seized a British-flagged oil tanker. WSJ's Gerald F. Seib explains the carefully calibrated way the two countries are trying to ratchet up pressure on each other, yet stop short of open conflict.
By
Aresu Eqbali,
Benoit Faucon and
Costas Paris
Updated July 19, 2019 8:24 pm ET
SaveShare
Text
593
TEHRAN, Iran—Iranian forces seized a British-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, as mounting tensions between Tehran and the West risked further disruption of commercial shipping in the strategically vital waterway.
A second vessel, this one British managed, was boarded by armed Iranian personnel in the Persian Gulf on Friday and later freed, its U.K. managers and a British shipping official said.
Friday’s developments came hours after a court in the British territory of Gibraltar extended the detention of an Iranian oil tanker seized earlier this month by British authorities who said it was breaching European sanctions on Syria. Iran had threatened retaliation for that seizure.
Tensions have mounted steadily in the Persian Gulf as Washington has tightened economic sanctions against Iran in an effort to force Tehran to negotiate new limits on its nuclear program and military activities.
Gulf Drama Iranian forces seized a U.K.-flagged vessel bound for Saudi Arabia and briefly boarded a U.K.-managed tanker.
TURKeY
IRAN
SAUDI
ARABIA
Stena Impero
Area of
detail
U.K.-flagged
tanker seized
IRAN
Strait of
Hormuz
Mesdar
U.K.-managed
tanker boarded
Dubai
Persian
Gulf
UNITED
ARAB
EMIRATES
Gulf of Oman
50 miles
OMAN
50 km
Source: MarineTraffic.com
Even as Washington and Tehran both insist they don’t want a war, recent incidents have raised fears of a miscalculation that could lead to a wider armed conflict in the Middle East.
Britain’s foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said he was “extremely concerned” and would attend a crisis meeting with high-level government officials about how to respond. He said the government “wasn’t looking at military options” but, rather, diplomacy.
An Iranian maritime official told Iran’s Fars news agency that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the British tanker Stena Impero on Friday after it collided with a fishing boat. “After the accident, it became necessary to examine the reasons,” the official was quoted as saying.
The ship, carrying a crew of 23, was empty and heading to Saudi Arabia to pick up its cargo when it was approached by several unidentified small craft and a helicopter as it transited the Strait of Hormuz in international waters, said the vessel’s owner Stena AB Group.
The second ship, the Liberian-flagged Mesdar, managed by Glasgow-based Norbulk Shipping, was freed after being boarded by armed Iranian personnel and allowed to continue its voyage, Norbulk said.
European brokers said at least three supertankers were asked by their managers on Friday to halt sailings close to Iranian waters.
“The area is explosive. We are taking our two ships the hell out of there,” said a veteran Greek shipowner, who operates more than 15 tankers.
The latest ramp-up in tensions comes at a delicate time for Britain. The country, which is in the process of replacing its prime minister amid its latest attempts to exit from the European Union, could find itself diplomatically isolated as it attempts to appease both U.S. and EU foreign-policy objectives.
A video image made available by Iranian state television's English-language service, Press TV, purports to show footage released by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from its drone. Photo: ptv handout/Shutterstock
The U.K. has remained supportive of the EU decision to endorse the Iranian nuclear accord. However it is wary of alienating the U.S., which has taken a more hard-line stance on Iran.
The standoff with Iran could present an early test for Britain’s next prime minister who is set to be announced next week. Boris Johnson, who previously defended the Iranian nuclear accord, is the favorite to get the nomination.
In response to Iran’s actions, the Pentagon said Friday that U.S. military officials in the Middle East have begun contacting U.S. ships operating in the region to ensure their safety and said American planes are watching from the air. Top Defense and State department officials also met Friday on plans to institute more formal, multination patrols to safeguard commercial shipping.
The Pentagon also said that it is sending troops and military gear to Saudi Arabia as part of a move to counter Iran. The decision to send at least 500 troops had been made earlier, but was publicly announced Friday after the latest tanker incidents.
President Trump said Friday that Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.), a conservative Republican who generally opposes U.S. military intervention abroad, had asked him if could talk to Iranian officials about how to reduce tensions and that Mr. Trump had approved.
The abrupt Iranian move plunged security officials worldwide into a day of uncertainty. But the top U.S. military intelligence officer said Friday that Iran is seeking to avoid outright war, while trying to alter the status quo in which its economy appears to be steadily contracting under the pressure of U.S.-led economic sanctions.
“I think they want to break the status quo. They’re not looking to do something that is going to spiral out of control. War’s not what they’re looking for,” said Army Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Actions such as the seizing of the tanker are, in Iran’s view, proportional to actions being taken against them, Gen. Ashley said. Iranian leaders also need to project an image of power to their own people, he said, speaking to reporters at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colo.
Friday’s developments followed Iran’s rejection of the U.S. assertion that the U.S. Navy downed one of its drones in the Strait, a day after several close encounters between American warships and the Iranian military in the vital oil shipping route further raised tensions between the nations.
“We have not lost any drone in the Strait of Hormuz nor anywhere else,” Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, said on Twitter. “I am worried that USS Boxer has shot down their own [drone] by mistake!”
A helicopter takes off from the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer during its transit through Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. Photo: handout/Reuters
Mr. Trump and senior administration officials dismissed those claims. National security adviser John Bolton said there was “no question” that the downed drone was Iranian and was posing a threat to U.S. personnel.
A senior administration official said that the Pentagon had “very clear evidence” that the U.S. downed the Iranian drone but didn’t provide further details. A defense official said that the U.S. hadn’t recovered the drone.
Mr. Trump on Thursday said the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, took defensive action against a drone that was flying too close to it. He called the drone’s approach the latest “of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels operating in international waters.”
“We shot it down,” Mr. Trump said.
U.S. defense officials said the Iranian drone was downed by a new U.S. system that uses electronic and communications measures to detect the presence of a drone, helps determine if it is hostile, and can jam the signal that connects them to their remotely located pilots, causing them to crash.
Dangerous Passage Recent incidents have raised fears over safety in the Strait of Hormuz.
TURKeY
IRAN
IRAN
July 14
SAUDI
ARABIA
Iran claims it
captured a tanker†
Area of
detail
July 10
U.K. ship
escorted
July 13
A tanker
disappears
Persian
Gulf
June 20
U.S. drone
downed*
Dubai
June 13
50 miles
Tankers
attacked
May 12
50 km
Tanker
attacked
UNITED
ARAB
EMIRATES
OMAN
Gulf of Oman
*Location reported by U.S.| †Approximate location reported by Iran | Note: other locations approximate.
Sources: Defense Department (drone); staff reports; MarineTraffic.com
The U.S. will take additional action only as a retaliatory measure, a senior administration official said Friday.
“The president has been very clear that he wants to do this through diplomatic and economic channels,” the official said. “He does not want another war in the Middle East.”
Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesman for Iran’s armed forces, was quoted by the state-run IRNA news agency on Friday as saying that all Iranian drones had safely returned to their bases after carrying out their “identification and control” mission a day earlier.
Late Friday, Iran’s Guard Corps released footage of the USS Boxer—purportedly filmed by the drone that flew close to the U.S. ship—to prove that it had returned unharmed.
Share Your Thoughts How should the U.S. respond to recent confrontations with Iran’s military? Join the conversation below.
The alleged incident occurred as the U.S. Navy sent a flotilla of warships through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday in a show of force designed to reassure allies about American commitment to the region amid flaring tensions with Iran. The narrow channel is a key shipping route leading into the Persian Gulf, with a third of the world’s seaborne oil transported through it.
The U.S. has blamed Iran for attacking or harassing commercial vessels in recent months, which Tehran has denied. Last week, Iranian boats tried to block a British-flagged tanker but were turned away by a U.K. warship. Iran denied any attempt to stop the tanker. Iran also shot down a U.S. drone over the Persian Gulf last month.
Related Articles Trump Says U.S. Ship Downed Iranian Drone in Strait of Hormuz U.S. Lobbies Oil Buyers and Producers to Secure Gulf Against Iranian Threat Europe Rallies to Save Iran Nuclear Deal Persian Gulf Skirmishes Force Tankers to Take Precautions Against Iran
Following what it said was growing Iranian threats, the U.S. boosted its military deployments to the Middle East in May, including with an aircraft carrier and a bomber task force in the Persian Gulf.
The Trump administration announced late Friday it is developing an international force to increase surveillance and security in the region’s waterways. Nations also may escort their own flagged vessels, U.S. Central Command said. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates back the plan.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, during a trip to Baghdad in May, proposed a regional nonaggression pact with Gulf Arab states, for which Russia’s foreign minister has expressed general support.
Iran in the past has harassed U.S. vessels passing through the Persian Gulf. For two years until 2017, Iranian speedboats usually crewed with Revolutionary Guards armed with .50 caliber machine guns and rocket launchers routinely darted toward U.S. vessels to within shooting distance. They also directed spotlights at American ships and aircraft. In the most tense instances, U.S. crews fired warning shots.
In 2016, two small U.S. Navy boats drifted into Iranian waters and were held captive for 15 hours before being released following phone calls between then U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Mr. Zarif.
In addition to the alleged drone downing, the USS Boxer on Thursday had close encounters with an unarmed Iranian helicopter flying alongside it and an Iranian military vessel that came as near as 500 yards.
Related Video
0:00 / 0:00
Oil, Defense and Sanctions: Why the Strait of Hormuz Is So Volatile
As tensions between the U.S. and Iran rise, a series of incidents has put a strategic maritime waterway back into the spotlight: The Strait of Hormuz. WSJ’s John Simons explains. Photo: Getty Images
—Warren P. Strobel, Michael R. Gordon, Sune Engel Rasmussen,? Max Colchester, Rory Jones and Vivian Salama contributed to this article.
Write to Benoit Faucon at benoit.faucon@wsj.com and Costas Paris at costas.paris@wsj.com
Copyright ©2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
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