The United Kingdom proposes to create a coalition to protect oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The Poles raised initial interest in the initiative. – Poland does not have the potential and technical capabilities to be a real force in such a coalition – says Bartosz Bojarczyk from the Department of International Relations at UMCS in Lublin, in a conversation with BiznesAlert.pl.
– The military mission of warships planned by the United Kingdom, which aims to protect tankers in the Strait of Hormuz against Iran, will not bring any benefits beyond the mere demonstration of force. This region is an area of international waters, and the dispute between Iran and the United Kingdom concerns whether the tanker taken over by Iran actually got into Iranian waters. The misunderstanding does not concern the armed activity of Iran itself – claims the scientist.
The United Kingdom proposed setting up a military mission in the Strait of Hormuz. The mission would provide protection for commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Last Friday, on the sea route, a British tanker, Stena Impero, took over the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
BiznesAlert.pl interviewee, when asked about an international mission under the leadership of Great Britain, stressed that the mission would take place in international waters. – Looking at the map, the waters of Oman from are the south, and Iranian from the north. However, sea transport itself takes place in international waters, so the legal situation is clear. There is no need for military intervention, since this area is legally regulated, and looking at the ongoing ship traffic in this region, it runs smoothly. The problem of the British tanker has a wider background and concerns the detention of an Iranian oil tanker off the coast of Gibraltar. The origin of the incident with a British tanker does not directly concern the growing tension in the region of this strait – he explains. Bojarczyk stressed that Iran, stopping the British tanker, reacted in the form of retaliation. – Earlier, the British had detained an Iranian tanker off the coast of Gibraltar because of sanctions imposed on Syria. These sanctions have been imposed by the international community, including the European Union. Iran believes that since it has not committed to comply with them and disagrees with them, it is not a side of it and can trade with Syria – he said.
He added that Iran claims that the detained oil tanker was to be in Iranian waters and turned to international waters. The British believe that it was in international waters. However, none of the governmental institutions monitoring the movements of ships, does not confirm the position of the tanker. – Iran is talking about provocation and accuses London of implementing US recommendations. The goal is to inflame relations with Iran and show the country as a threat to the world.
– The military mission itself would be sensless – said Bojarczyk. – This is an area of international waters, where apart from one or two oil tankers, there was no problem with sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. France declared logistics assistance to Great Britain without sending ships. The interest was expressed by Germany. Later Berlin, however, did not repeat this declaration. Denmark and Poland also submitted their offer. The Iranian Foreign Ministry claims that militarization of the strait would be a provocation, and in this situation it is not difficult to uncontrollably tighten the conflict. Besides, the United Kingdom alone has only two units in the region, which, looking at the declaration of London can be considered a kind of demonstration. Iran works very sophisticated and from its point of view, cautiously – he emphasized.
Bojarczyk added that there are questions about Polish participation in a possible mission: for what purpose and what means. – Poland does not have the potential and technical capabilities to be a real force in such a coalition – he concluded.