P&O axes cruises to Dubai over fears Iran will attack tourist ships in the Persian Gulf after oil tanker seizures
P&O CRUISES has cancelled its cruises around Dubai and the Persian Gulf over fears that its British ships could become targets for Iran as tensions escalate in the region.
The popular cruise line said it decided to call off all trips in the Arab region from October until at least March next year amid the standoff between Britain and Iran over oil tanker seizures.
P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said on Thursday: “The increased tension in the region highlighted by the attacks on tankers in the Straits and the detention of a British-flagged tanker by the Iranian authorities means as a British company flying the Red Ensign it is not advisable for us to maintain our planned Dubai and Arabian Gulf programme this winter season.
“We have therefore taken the unusual step of withdrawing Oceana from the region for the upcoming season.
“Whilst we appreciate our guests will be disappointed, the safety of our guests and crew is absolutely paramount and given our UK status, coupled with the uncertainty in the region, we have had to make this difficult decision.”
The cruise line said all guests would be fully refunded and routes to the region may return in 2020 if the political situation calmed.
If Iran were to seize a civilian cruise ship with hundreds of British tourists aboard
As a British company flying the Red Ensign it is not advisable for us to maintain our planned Dubai and Arabian Gulf programme this winter season
P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, which is responsible for registering British-flagged ships, acknowledged fears among ship owners.
The MCA told "We are aware that some customers will have concerns over the ongoing situation, they trust us to discuss these issues with them in confidence and feedback any concerns to our colleagues in government."
Some ship owners have begun to see their associations with the UK as a potential risk when sailing in the Persian Gulf.
The P&O ship in the Persian Gulf, Oceana, flies the Red Ensign, a red flag with the Union Jack in its top-left corner.
The protection of civilian ships has also been under increased focus.
Britain announced this week it was joining a US-led naval mission to protect civilian ships in the Persian Gulf.
THIRD TANKER SEIZED IN ONE MONTH
The announcement comes after Iran seized a foreign tanker in the Gulf last week, in what would be the third such seizure in a month amid heightened tensions.
The "surprise attack" was near tiny Farsi Island, half way between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claim they seized the ship because it was carrying around 700,000 litres of smuggled fuel.
Seven foreign crew members were arrested in the operation carried out last Wednesday night, said Fars news agency, which is considered close to the Guards.
Tensions between arch-enemies Iran and the US have soared this year after Washington stepped up its campaign of "maximum pressure" against Tehran.
ESCALATING TENSIONS
Ships have been attacked, drones downed and oil tankers seized since May, a year after the US withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal between Iran.
At the height of the crisis, US President Donald Trump called off air strikes against Iran at the last minute in June after the Islamic republic's forces shot down a US drone.
Boris Johnson ordered the Royal Navy to accompany all British-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz in an escalation of the Iran crisis.
The seizure of the latest tanker would be the third by Iran in less than a month in Gulf waters - a conduit for much of the world's crude oil.
On July 18, the Guards said they had detained the Panama-flagged for MT Riah for alleged fuel smuggling.
And a day later, they announced they had impounded the British-flagged Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz for breaking "international maritime rules".
The seizure of the Stena Impero came two weeks after Royal Marines seized a supertanker believed to be carrying Iranian crude oil to Syria on July 4.
The 23 crew members of the Stena Impero are still being held by Iran.
TANKER ROW
The oil tanker Grace 1 was detained on suspicion it was breaking European sanctions by taking oil to Syria.
Three Iranian boats also tried to seize a BP oil tanker as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday July 10.
Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose - which was escorting the tanker through the flashpoint region - was forced to sail in front of the boats.
After quickly training its 30mm deck guns on the enemy boats, deploying its Wildcat helicopter and issuing a radio warning, the Iranian boats scarpered.
HMS Duncan was then deployed to patrol the busy shipping lane as all UK flagged vessels were put on the highest security alert level.
But an Iranian bomb boat was found in its path, meaning the HMS Duncan could have been destroyed by the unmanned attack ship packed with explosives, the Mirror reports.
Iran had earlier been blamed for a series of devastating sea mine attacks on US-linked oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has been squaring up to the West as it reels over the scrapping of the so-called nuclear deal by the US.
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