Chief of the French Defense Staff Francois Lecointre does not think that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is at risk of spiraling out of control any time soon in the wake of the most recent reported oil tanker incident, but tensions in the region could still escalate
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th July, 2019) Chief of the French Defense Staff Francois Lecointre does not think that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is at risk of spiraling out of control any time soon in the wake of the most recent reported oil tanker incident, but tensions in the region could still escalate.
Earlier, CNN reported, citing US officials, that several Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vessels had tried to force a UK oil tanker to change its course near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. According to the UK Defense Ministry's spokesperson, a UK warship issued "verbal warnings" to the Iranian ships and made them retreat.
"At the moment, the game, which is still a game, despite the collision of the United States' and Iran's interests, is a game in which we see that it is fueled by provocations ... reactions and signals that are being sent and can go out of control at any moment. I think that now it [the situation] is under control ... I do not think that the situation can get out of control [at the moment], but an escalation may occur," Lecointre said in an interview with the CNews broadcaster.
The IRGC and the Iranian Foreign Ministry have both refuted the media reports, saying that IRCG ships had no encounters with foreign vessels over the past 24 hours.
Two other oil tanker incidents have occurred in the Persian Gulf region since May, with Washington blaming them on Tehran. Iran has refuted the allegations as unsubstantiated.
