Britain issues warning to Iran
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/01/2012 (5003 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
LONDON — Britain’s defence secretary warned Iran Thursday that any attempt to block key global oil passageway the Strait of Hormuz would be illegal and unsuccessful — hinting at a robust international response.
During his first visit to the Pentagon for talks with U.S. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, Philip Hammond told the Atlantic Council in Washington the presence of British and American naval ships in the Persian Gulf would ensure the route is kept open for trade.
Iran has threatened to close the route in possible retaliation to new U.S. and European economic sanctions, a tactic the U.S. already has said it would not tolerate.
About one-sixth of the world’s oil passes on tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, and analysts have warned the price of Brent crude could temporarily jump to as high as $210 if the strait is closed.
“Disruption to the flow of oil through Strait of Hormuz would threaten regional and global economic growth. Any attempt by Iran to do this would be illegal and unsuccessful,” said Hammond.
U.S. officials have said the navy’s Fifth Fleet, based in nearby Bahrain, is prepared to defend the shipping route.
Britain has already downgraded ties with Iran following a major attack on its embassy in Tehran in November, which it insists was sanctioned by the country’s ruling elite.
In response, Britain pulled all of its diplomats out of Iran and expelled Iranian diplomats from U.K. soil.
The U.S. and the 27-nation EU have both imposed sanctions against Iran over its contentious nuclear program, which the West insists is aimed at producing atomic weapons.
Iran denies the charge, claiming the program aims to generate civilian electricity and produce medical radioisotopes needed to treat cancer patients.
— The Associated Press
PM offers own rebuke
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a scathing rebuke of Iran on Thursday as tensions build in the Middle East, saying the regime in Tehran is the greatest threat to global security and may be looking to use a nuclear weapon.
Harper said Iran’s musings in the last week to close the Strait of Hormuz — one of the busiest oil shipping routes in the world — reinforces how serious a threat the country is to peace and security on the planet.
Iran just wrapped up 10 days of naval war games and test-fired cruise missiles designed to sink ships in the Strait of Hormuz, while also warning the U.S. not to return a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf.
— Postmedia News