U.S. Navy won’t tolerate ‘disruption’ through Strait of Hormuz

(CNN) — The U.S. Navy said Iran‘s threat to block the strategically and economically important Strait of Hormuz is unacceptable.

“The free flow of goods and services through the Strait of Hormuz is vital to regional and global prosperity,” Navy 5th Fleet in Bahrain spokeswoman Cmdr. Amy Derrick Frost told reporters on Wednesday.

“Anyone who threatens to disrupt freedom of navigation in an international strait is clearly outside the community of nations; any disruption will not be tolerated.

Iran’s vice president has warned that the country could block the strait if sanctions are imposed on its exports of crude oil. France, Britain and Germany have proposed sanctions to punish Iran’s lack of cooperation on its nuclear program.

The 5th Fleet is based in Bahrain, and Frost noted that the Navy “maintains a robust presence in the region to deter or counter destabilizing activities.”

“We conduct maritime security operations under international maritime conventions to ensure security and safety in international waters for all commercial shipping to operate freely while transiting the region,” she said.

Asked whether the fleet would be able to keep the strait open if Iran moved to close it, she said, “The U.S. Navy is a flexible, multi-capable force committed to regional security and stability, always ready to counter malevolent actions to ensure freedom of navigation.”

Frost was also asked whether keeping the strait open is part of the fleet’s mandate.

She said it is “committed to protecting maritime freedoms that are the basis for global prosperity. This is one of the main reasons our military forces operate in the region.

“The U.S. Navy, along with our coalition and regional partners, operates under international maritime conventions to maintain a constant state of high vigilance in order to ensure the continued, safe flow of maritime traffic in waterways critical to global commerce.”

The French Foreign Ministry stressed that the waterway is an international strait.

“In consequence, all ships, whatever their flag, enjoy the right of passage in transit, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, adopted in 1982, and with the customary international maritime law,” the ministry said.

Iran is holding a 10-day military exercise in an area from the eastern part of the strait out into the Arabian Sea. Western diplomats describe the maneuvers as further evidence of Iran’s volatile behavior.

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WWIII?: 69 PATRIOT MISSLES STOPPED EN ROUTE TO CHINA

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HELSINKI – Finnish authorities have detained two Ukrainians over 69 surface-to-air Patriot missiles found on board a ship that docked in Finland en route to China, customs officials said Thursday.

“The ship’s captain and the first mate have been detained,” the head of the Finnish customs anti-crime unit, Petri Lounatmaa, told AFP.

Finnish customs are investigating the case as one of illegal export of defence material.

The missiles, produced by U.S. firm Raytheon, were discovered following a customs search on the British-registered Thor Liberty, owned by Danish firm Thorco, at the Finnish port of Kotka about 120 kilometres (75 miles) from Helsinki.

AFP/Getty Images/Files

U.S.-made Patriot missile

It is not known where the missiles came from, but Finnish police and customs investigators were working on finding leads in Germany, where the ship was loaded before heading to Finland.

Lounatmaa declined to provide further information on discussions with German officials.

“We have received intelligence information, but we first need official confirmation,” he explained.

According to regional German television NDR citing a customs source, the cargo is a legal shipment destined for South Korea.

Finnish police said Wednesday the ship’s destination was the Chinese port of Shanghai.

Lounatmaa said the Thor Liberty’s first officers and crew of about 30 were all Ukrainians, and that interrogations were under way.

He said investigators would be looking more closely into the intended destination of the vessel and its cargo, which also included propellant charges for the missiles, and 150 tons of explosives.

Port officials have relocated the vessel to a separate berth at the Kotka port.

Finnish customs have confiscated the missiles, and “the Finnish military are taking care of their transportation and storage,” Lounatmaa said.

Finnish law requires permission from defence officials to move such material across the country’s borders.

Related articles

• Finns stop ‘Patriot missile’ ship (bbc.co.uk)
• Finland ‘finds Patriot missiles’ on China-bound ship – BBC News (bbc.co.uk)
• Finnish police find Patriot missiles in cargo (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Finnish Police Find Patriot Missiles in Cargo (abcnews.go.com)