Author Topic: U.S. sees European maritime security effort in Gulf as 'complementary'  (Read 142 times)

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rangerrebew

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U.S. sees European maritime security effort in Gulf as 'complementary'
Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali


KABUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States believes a proposed European initiative to bolster maritime security in the Gulf would complement ongoing U.S. efforts there instead of being a “stand-alone” operation, the top U.S. general said on Wednesday.

Washington in June first proposed some sort of multinational effort open to all allies and partners to bolster maritime security in the Gulf after accusing Iran of attacking oil tankers around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint between Iran and Oman.

Britain called this week for a European-led naval mission to ensure safe shipping through the strait after Iran seized a British-flagged tanker, raising questions about whether the U.S. initiative would move ahead separately.

Asked about the British proposal, U.S. Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said his discussions “right now wouldn’t indicate that that’s a stand-alone effort that’s separate from ours.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-iran-usa-europe/u-s-sees-european-maritime-security-effort-in-gulf-as-complementary-idUSKCN1UJ23D