(AP) – UK Chamber of Shipping CEO Bob Sanguinetti says the seizure of a British oil tanker by Iranian forces represents an escalation in tensions in the Persian Gulf that makes it clear more protection for merchant vessels is urgently needed.
He said Friday the action is “in violation of international regulations which protect ships and their crews as they go about their legitimate business in international waters.”
He called on the British government to do “whatever is necessary” to ensure the safe and swift return of the ship’s crew.
Meanwhile, the White House says President Donald Trump has spoken on the phone with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss Iran and ongoing efforts to ensure that Tehran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.
Their phone call Friday came just as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was announcing that it had seized a British oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz.
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