Britain debates response to Iranian hostility

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday held an emergency meeting with the country’s senior government and security leaders after Iran seized the British-flagged Stena Impero and its 23 crew members in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. Iran said it orchestrated the armed takeover in retaliation for Britain intercepting and impounding one of its tankers two weeks ago off Gibraltar that was attempting to deliver oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions.

British officials are considering how to secure shipping in a region that is crucial to the world’s oil supply. One-fifth of all global crude exports passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Officials said the Royal Navy was about an hour away and could not intervene during the seizure. Qatar called on both parties to “urgently contain” the events, while German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned that Iran’s seizure will contribute to an “escalation spiral” that could end in war.

On Monday, an official from Iran’s intelligence ministry said its forces arrested 17 Iranians accused of working for the CIA, according to state-run media. Some of them received death sentences, he added.

President Donald Trump tweeted that the report is “totally false.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a interview on Fox & Friends Monday declined to address the specifics of the report but said “the Iranian regime has a long history of lying.”