US calls for massive worldwide naval force to tackle Iran threat after Boris Johnson ramps up protection for Brit ships

THE US has called for a massive worldwide naval force to tackle Iran's threats after Boris Johnson ramped up protection for British ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has said he is willing to travel to Iran for talks following reports that Iran test-fired a medium-range missile.

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Pompeo also called on Britain, Japan and other nations to join a US-led maritime force to protect international tankers.

This comes after Johnson ordered the Royal Navy to accompany all British-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz in a dramatic escalation of the crisis with Iran.

Pompeo was asked in an interview on Thursday if he would be willing to go to Tehran.

He told Bloomberg TV: "Sure. If that's the call, I'd happily go there... I would welcome the chance to speak directly to the Iranian people."

RAMPED UP PROTECTION

Johnson this week ordered that all British-flagged vessels travelling through the Strait of Hormuz be accompanied after the seizure of a British vessel last week.

On Friday, Iran seized British oil tanker the Stena Impero in response to Britain's seizure of an Iranian vessel off Gibraltar earlier this month.

The escort was provided by HMS Montrose, currently Britain's only warship in the Gulf and soon to be replaced by the larger HMS Duncan.

A nuclear powered submarine and Royal Marine Commandos could also be sent to bolster defences.

A government spokesperson said: "The Royal Navy has been tasked to accompany British-flagged ships through the Strait of Hormuz, either individually or in groups, should sufficient notice be given of their passage.

"Freedom of navigation is crucial for the global trading system and world economy, and we will do all we can to defend it."

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The move came just hours after Boris Johnson took office as prime minister.

US president Donald Trump has also deployed a large military presence in the Gulf in response to what the US called Iranian threats.

Currents tensions between the UK and Iran began when royal marines said an Iranian tanker, the Grace 1, at the request of the US.

The ship was suspected of taking oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions, and remains detained in Gibraltar.

'STATE PIRACY'

Under the new Royal Navy escort mission, UK-flagged ships have been told to give the Department of Transport sufficient notice of their travel plans in the area, .

Ships might be grouped together in convoys or accompanied individually depending upon how many are travelling on a given day.

Britain has been seeking to put together a European-led maritime protection mission to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Last Friday, Iran's Revolutionary Guard launched a gunboat and helicopter raid on the Stena Impero, which is registered in the UK, claiming it had turned off its tracker and ignored warnings.

The seizure was described as an "state piracy" by the British government.

Another vessel, the Mesdar, was also intercepted and forced towards Iranian territory in what appeared to be a co-ordinated strike.

State TV footage shows Iranian armed forces on board the Stena Impero after it was seized in the Strait of Hormuz.

The clip is thought to have been filmed in the southern port of Bandar Abbas.

Startling satellite images have also emerged showing the captured ship being circled by a military speedboat.

Iran responded to British demands that the ship be released by offering to swap the vessel for the Grace 1.

'STRONGEST SANCTIONS'

The US has earlier this year threatened to impose the "strongest sanctions in history" against Iran.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo laid out 12 demands for Iran and said relief from economic sanctions would only come when Washington had seen tangible shifts in Iran's policies.

He warned: "The sting of sanctions will be painful if the regime does not change its course from the unacceptable and unproductive path it has chosen to one that rejoins the league of nations."

Pompeo said a stronger pact should require that Iran stop enrichment of uranium, which was allowed within strict limitations under the previous deal.

Iran would also have to walk away from core pillars of its foreign policy, including its involvement in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Afghanistan.

'WE TRACK EVERY SHIP IN THE GULF'

Prior to seizing the Stena Impero, Iran had warned the UK that the capture of the Grace 1 would not go "unanswered", and had since said it uses drones to track every ship in the Gulf.

The Revolutionary Guard said their “world leading drones” were following “all enemy ships” and taking pictures “point-by-point from their origin until the moment they enter the region”.

It has also emerged Tehran wants to impose a "toll" on all ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, saying it would be used to "protect" the safety of the vessels.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, has insisted his country doesn't want confrontation.

"It is very important for Boris Johnson as he enters 10 Downing Street to understand that Iran does not seek confrontation, that Iran wants normal relations based on mutual respect," he said.

Fears have recently been raised that the Royal Navy lacks the strength to conduct missions to protect UK shipping.

Since the Falklands War, the navy has dropped from 80 vessels to 50, with ten of those currently out of action for maintenance.

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HMS Montrose accompanies two merchant vessels in the Gulf amid rising tensions between the UK and Iran

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