Monday, January 6, 2020
Only essential travel to Iran is suggested by the Foreign Office after the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in the US airstrike. In the region where the UK has 400 troops the death has led to tensions in the region.
A tanker was seized last year and the Royal Navy has resumed escorting British ships in the Gulf.
UK-flagged ships through the Strait of Hormuz will be accompanied by HMS Montrose and HMS Defender according to Defence Secretary Ben Wallac. This will be similar to what they did between July and November after the seizure of the Stena Impero by Iran.
Wallace said that under the International law the United States is entitled to defend itself against those who pose an imminent threat to its citizens.
The Iranian-backed militia was ‘repeatedly attacked’ by the US forces in Iraq and Gen Soleimani was ‘at the heart’ of such efforts to undermine neighbouring nations and target Iran’s enemies.
Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry had called the UK government’s response as ‘pathetic’.
She said that she could not understand why the Britain was not calling for an emergency meeting of the UN security council, she thought there is a tremendous risk and they could end up in another war and thought of doing everything so that they can pull Donald Trump back from this.
Tags: iran
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
