LONDON, July 19 (Reuters) - Britain said Iran's seizure of a British-flagged vessel and a Liberian-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz was unacceptable and called for freedom of navigation in the Gulf. "I'm extremely concerned by the seizure of two vessels by Iranian authorities in the Strait of Hormuz," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said. "I will shortly attend a COBR … [Read more...]
Iran Claims To Have Seized Stena Tanker
By Kate Holton (Reuters) - Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Friday they had captured a British-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf after Britain seized an Iranian vessel this month, ratcheting up tension along a vital international oil shipping route. Britain said it was urgently seeking information about the Stena Impero after the tanker, which had been heading to a port in … [Read more...]
Iran Denies Losing Drone in Strait of Hormuz
By Parisa Hafezi and Steve Holland DUBAI/WASHINGTON, July 19 (Reuters) - The United States and Iran were at odds on Friday about a U.S. assertion that its Navy had brought down an Iranian drone in the Gulf, with Tehran showing video footage that it said disproved the incident even happened. A senior Trump administration official said Washington had "very clear evidence" that … [Read more...]
Trump Says U.S. Navy ‘Destroyed’ Iranian Drone in Strait of Hormuz
By Steve Holland and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday that a U.S. Navy ship had "destroyed" an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz after the aircraft threatened the vessel, but Iran said it had no information about losing a drone. In the latest episode to stir tensions in the Gulf, U.S. President Donald Trump told an event at … [Read more...]
United States’ Gulf Maritime Proposal Won’t Be Military Coalition Against Iran, Pentagon official
By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) - The United States is not aiming to set up a military coalition against Iran with its new security initiative in the Gulf, but simply "shining a flashlight" in the region to deter attacks on commercial ships, a top Pentagon official told Reuters. Kathryn Wheelbarger, who briefed NATO allies this week on the U.S. proposal, said … [Read more...]