Snubbing our last European ally

The UK must be responsible for the safety of its own ships in the Gulf, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has said.

His remarks reflect unresolved tensions between Britain and the US over Donald Trump’s plans for a US-led military convoy to protect international shipping operating off the Iranian coast.

  Guardian

I guess we're unofficially out of NATO now.

The UK foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, spoke to his German and French counterparts on Sunday to urge them to recognise the need to internationalise the maritime security operation in the Gulf. A multinational task force already exists, and it is not clear what the US believes its proposed Operation Sentinel will add.

[...]

About a fifth of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, the busiest shipping lane in the world for crude tankers, and it is less than 25 miles (40km) wide at its narrowest point. Tensions in the Gulf had already affected oil trading, and Friday’s tanker seizures caused prices to rise.

Britain has concerns that a US-led maritime security operation may have a different emphasis since Trump wants Europeans to join the US in pulling out of the nuclear deal signed in 2015.

Sounds like a fair guess.

In a statement to MPs on Monday, Hunt will vigorously defend the British decision to seize an Iranian tanker off Gibraltar on 4 July, insisting Britain – in co-operation with the US – had established that the ship entered British waters and was bound for Syria in breach of EU sanctions.

We'll help you get into trouble, but not out of it.

Lord Lamont, the former chancellor, and head of the British-Iranian chamber of commerce, said Britain must resist the temptation to get drawn closer to the US. “More armed escorts are not going to solve the situation,” he said. “The risk of a loss of life is very high and then you will get a proper shooting war.” The Iranians will have seen the capture of the Stena as offsetting the interdiction of the Iranian tanker, he added.

Pompeo also dismissed Iran’s announcement that it had captured 17 spies working for the US Central Intelligence Agency and sentenced some to death.

Iran made the announcement in state media, saying the alleged spies had been arrested in the 12 months to March 2019. Such announcements are not unusual in Iran, but the timing has raised concerns that Tehran is hardening its position in its standoff with western powers. “The Iranian regime has a long history of lying ... I would take with a significant grain of salt any Iranian assertion about actions that they’ve taken,” Pompeo said.

Donald Trump likewise tweeted that the Iranian claim was “totally false”.

Counterpoint: probably true.

What the hell is Operation Sentinel, anyway?

From the Central Command website:

TAMPA, Fla., July 19, 2019 — U.S. Central Command is developing a multinational maritime effort, Operation Sentinel, to increase surveillance of and security in key waterways in the Middle East to ensure freedom of navigation in light of recent events in the Arabian Gulf region.

The goal of Operation Sentinel is to promote maritime stability, ensure safe passage, and de-escalate tensions in international waters throughout the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait (BAM) and the Gulf of Oman.

This maritime security framework will enable nations to provide escort to their flagged vessels while taking advantage of the cooperation of participating nations for coordination and enhanced maritime domain awareness and surveillance.

While the United States has committed to supporting this initiative, contributions and leadership from regional and international partners will be required to succeed.

U.S. officials continue to coordinate with allies and partners in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East on the details and capabilities required for Operation Sentinel to enable freedom of navigation in the region and protect vital shipping lanes.

Vague enough for you?

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.