The EU and Japan Hint They Might Do Something to Protect Shipping in the Strait of America

I don't believe them. This is very gauzy and gaseous.

Trump should just declare that only ships transiting to the Western Hemisphere will be protected. All other ships? Iran, do your worse.

Jacqui Heinrich @JacquiHeinrich

NEW: UK, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, & Japan issue joint statement expressing "readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts" to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, welcoming nations engaging in prep/planning & coordinating SPR releases and ways to increase output.

Calls for Iran to "cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping, and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817"

"Appropriate efforts" means "we issued this paper statement."

The statement commits to nothing:

We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces.

We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict. We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping, and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817.

Freedom of navigation is a fundamental principle of international law, including under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The effects of Iran's actions will be felt by people in all parts of the world, especially the most vulnerable.

Consistent with UNSC Resolution 2817, we emphasise that such interference with international shipping and the disruption of global energy supply chains constitute a threat to international peace and security. In this regard, we call for an immediate comprehensive moratorium on attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations.

We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait. We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning.

That's the extent of their commitment: they express their readiness to "appropriate efforts" and welcome the commitment of other nations to "preparatory planning."

posted by Disinformation Expert Ace at 12:13 PM

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