European nations are setting aside Brexit rivalries with initial support for a British-inspired mission to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Foreign minister Jeremy Hunt proposed the plan this week after Iran’s seizure of the 50,000-dwt Stena Impero (built 2018) in retaliation to the detention of a VLCC in Gibraltar.
France and Germany were already known to be supportive of the naval mission, with Italy and Denmark now also onboard, according to Reuters.
The Netherlands and Spain are also expressing an interest, the news wire says.
The EU support, just three months away from Britain’s planned withdrawal from the block, comes with the US apparently disinterested in assisting the protection of foreign vessels in the key waterway.
This is despite Donald Trump's reintroduction of sanctions on Iran sparking the latest unrest in the area.
“Britain’s request, rather than Washington’s, makes it easier for Europeans to rally round this,” an EU diplomat told Reuters.
“Freedom of navigation is essential, this is separate from the US campaign of maximum pressure on Iran.”
With Britain set to exit the EU on Halloween, any maritime alliance in the Middle East with its European neighbours would be looser than the anti-piracy mission off Somalia, Reuters said.
Iran seized the Stena Impero on Friday and owner Stena Bulk has now been allowed direct access to the crew.
“The master advised that everyone was safe with good cooperation with the Iranian personnel onboard,” it said in a statement.
Erik Hanell, chief executive of Stena Bulk, said: “We do of course appreciate this step of development and that this is a first sign that we will soon see more positive progress from the Iranian authorities”
