Nearly a week after the Thursday attacks against a pair of tankers in
the Gulf of Oman, foreign ministers from the European Union are finally making a suggestion that no one else has: an independent investigation.
Within hours of the incident, the US had declared Iran the guilty party,
and Britain has joined in echoing them. Other foreign ministers were
calling to see the full evidence, with Luxembourg’s FM adding that the
“main task of foreign ministers is to avoid war,” and others saying it
would be hasty to draw conclusions without a proper investigation.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini blamed the US for mounting tensions
with Iran, and the union’s leadership clearly is not on board with
taking any direct stand on the tankers, especially to the extent that it
might lead to a war.
The British representative reiterated that her government is “almost
certain” of Iranian guilt. She added that Britain stands ready to act to
ensure the waterway remains open.
EU Foreign Ministers Call for Independent Investigation into Tanker Attacks
Officials remain unconvinced as US, Britain maintain Iran's guilt
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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