UK Wants To 'De-Escalate' Gulf Tensions After Tanker Incident

Britain is seeking to "de-escalate" tensions in the Gulf of Oman after attacks last week on two oil tankers, peers have been told.

Defence minister Earl Howe said the UK was working with its diplomatic partners, including France and Germany, to reduce tensions in the region.

But he warned it would be "foolish to claim the dangers have now disappeared", adding: "They are still very real."

The US has said it will send an additional 1,000 troops to the Middle East as tensions continue to build with Iran over the attacks.

Washington has accused Iran of blowing holes in the vessels, with video and then images being released, but Iran has denied the allegations.

Lord Howe said the UK worked closely with the shipping industry to share information on the risks to vessels.

"At this time we are working through diplomatic channels to de-escalate tensions in the region that threaten the free flow of shipping and the wider international community."

Labour's Lord West of Spithead, a former First Sea Lord, said protecting ships risked escalation but that did not mean it should not be done.

Lord West asked if Britain had enough "assets" in place and warned that the Iranians had "form on breaking rules at sea" and "lying" about what happened.

He said Britain should be working with the US and other allies to look at the possibility of taking convoys of ships through the Strait of Hormuz to avoid being "culpable" in the event of further attacks.

Lord Howe said the UK had a permanent presence in the Gulf to protect trade and acknowledged those ships had to be properly defended.

He told peers: "Our aim is to de-escalate the situation, to reduce tensions, and we are acting with our partners, France and Germany, to that end.

"However, it would be foolish to claim that the dangers have now disappeared.

"They are still very real and we are alive to the possibility of further incidents."

Tory former chancellor Lord Lamont of Lerwick said it was an extremely dangerous situation and condemned what had "apparently been done" by Iran.

But he said the country with the greatest stake in keeping the Straits free was Iran itself.

Watch: Video footage released by the US which it said was evidence of Iranian involvement in the tanker incident

"Although it doesn't justify it, it is not surprising that when America has decided that Iran should not be allowed to sell one single barrel of oil on the international markets, that Iran is less interested in keeping the Straits of Hormuz free."

Lord Lamont urged the Government to concentrate on a political, rather than a military, solution.

Lord Howe said this was entirely right and this was why the Government was focusing on a diplomatic solution.

He said the UK had not deployed any additional forces to the region as a result of the attacks.