British ministers are making plans aimed at targeting Iran with sanctions in the aftermath of the Iranian seizure of a British-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported.
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce on Sunday diplomatic and economic measures, including potential asset freezes, as a response to the incident, according to the report.
Britain could push for United Nations and European Union sanctions to be reimposed on Iran after they had been lifted in 2016 following a deal on Iran’s nuclear program, the Telegraph reported.
Britain has denounced Iran’s Friday seizure of the oil tanker as a “hostile act”, rejecting Tehran’s explanation that it had seized the vessel because it had been involved in an accident.
The vessel, carrying no cargo, was then taken to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, where it will remain with its 23 crew - 18 of them Indians - while Iranian authorities are investigating the alleged accident.
Allahmorad Afifipour, the head of Ports and Maritime Organisation in the southern Hormozgan province, was quoted by state TV as saying that, “all 23 crew members aboard the ship are safe and in good health."
In a letter to the UN Security Council late on Saturday, Britain said the tanker was approached by Iranian forces when it was in Omani territorial waters exercising its lawful right of passage, and the action “constitutes illegal interference”.
“Current tensions are extremely concerning, and our priority is to de-escalate. We do not seek confrontation with Iran,” the letter said. “But it is unacceptable and highly escalatory to threaten shipping going about its legitimate business through internationally recognised transit corridors.”
On Sunday, Iran’s envoy to Britain, Hamid Baeidinejad, tweeted that the,“UK government should contain those domestic political forces who want to escalate existing tension between Iran and the UK well beyond the issue of ships. This is quite dangerous and unwise at a sensitive time in the region".
“Iran however is firm and ready for different scenarios.”
Britain, France, Germany and the European Union have joined Britain in condemning the seizure of the vessel.
The three big European countries are signatories to a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers that Washington undermined by quitting last year, setting Iran’s already fragile relations with the West on a downward spiral.
Under the pact, Iran agreed to restrict nuclear work in return for lifting sanctions. The European countries opposed the Trump administration’s decision to abandon the agreement last year, but have so far failed to fulfil promises to Iran of providing alternative means for its to access world trade.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
