Iran's Tanker Harassment Is a Very British Problem
An incident involving a BP oil tanker need not signal the start of wider problems in the Strait of Hormuz.
HMS Montrose is going to be kept busy.
Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images AsiaPacThe stakes just rose for U.K. oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz from the Persian Gulf, after a Royal Navy frigate warned off three Iranian patrol boats that attempted to impede the passage of a BP Plc-owned vessel. But the problem remains a uniquely British one, for now.
On Wednesday evening the HMS Montrose was escorting the oil tanker British Heritage through the chokepoint when its charge was approached by the Iranian ships. These reportedly attempted to force the Isle of Man-flagged tanker to change direction into Iranian waters. The Montrose maneuvered between the tanker and the patrol boats and ordered them to move away, which they did, according to a statement from the U.K. Ministry of Defence.