Iranian President Rouhani Warns Britain Of 'Repercussions’ Over Ship Seizure

British tanker Pacific Voyager was escorted through the Strait of Hormuz yesterday by Royal Navy Frigate HMS Montrose. Britain has a second tanker, the British Heritage, which is sheltering in the Persian Gulf while Navy top brass decide what to do with it (ship positions accurate as of Tuesday)

Daily Mail: Iran's President accuses 'hopeless' Britain of being 'scared' and warns of 'consequences' after a Royal Navy frigate was sent to shadow an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz

* Iran's Hassan Rouhani goaded 'hopeless' British leaders in speech to Cabinet
* Said UK is 'the initiator of insecurity' in Persian Gulf and pledged 'consequences'
* Iran threatened to seize a UK tanker after its vessel was stopped off Gibraltar
* Royal Navy frigate was sent to escort British tanker in the Gulf on Tuesday

Iran's president taunted Britain on Wednesday as he accused 'hopeless' leaders of being 'scared' after a Royal Navy vessel was sent to escort a UK oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz.

Hassan Rouhani told a Cabinet meeting that the UK is 'the initiator of insecurity' in the Persian Gulf and 'will realise the consequences later'.

It comes after Royal Marines seized an Iranian oil tanker off the coast of Gibraltar last week, which Britain says was violating EU sanctions by carrying fuel to Syria.

Iran denies the vessel was bound for Syria and says the UK acted on behalf of the United States, which has separate sanctions in place against Tehran itself.

Senior Iranian politicians have threatened to retaliate by seizing a British tanker.

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More News On Iranian President Rouhani Warning Britain Of ‘Repercussions Over Ship Seizure

Rouhani says Britain to face 'consequences' for seizing Iranian tanker -- Reuters
Iran warns Britain of ‘repercussions’ over ship seizure -- AP
Iran: UK will face 'consequences' for tanker's seizure -- The Hill
Iran’s President Says UK 'Scared' After It Reportedly Sends Frigates to Escort Oil Tankers in Gulf -- Sputnik
UK Tanker Given Military Escort Amid Iran's Promise to Respond to Ship Seizure - Report -- Sputnik

Growing Calls In Iran To Seize A U.K. Tanker In Retaliation After Its Tanker Was Seized Off Gibraltar

ABC News Online: Iran says it will seize UK tanker in retaliation after its supertanker was captured off Gibraltar coast

An Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander has threatened to seize a British ship in retaliation for the capture of an Iranian supertanker in Gibraltar by Royal Marines.

"If Britain does not release the Iranian oil tanker, it is the authorities duty to seize a British oil tanker," Mohsen Rezai said on Twitter on Friday.

The Gibraltar Government said the crew on board the supertanker Grace 1 were being interviewed as witnesses, not criminal suspects, in an effort to establish the nature of the cargo and its ultimate destination.

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WNU Editor: This oil tanker is going to be held for a minimum of 14 days .... Gibraltar obtains order extending detention of Iranian tanker by 14 days (Reuters).

More News On Calls In Iran To Seize A U.K. Tanker In Retaliation After Its Tanker Was Seized Off Gibraltar

Iran threatens British shipping in retaliation for tanker seizure -- Reuters
Former Guard commander says Iran should seize a UK tanker -- AP
Ex-military chief urges Iran to seize UK ship in Gibraltar tit-for-tat -- The Guardian
Iranian official threatens to seize British oil tanker -- BBC
Iran calls for seizure of British ship if oil tanker isn't freed -- UPI
Iran demands Britain release oil tanker held in Gibraltar -- AFP
Iran’s ‘duty’ to seize British tanker if UK fails to release captured ship – senior official at IRGC -- RT
Iran demands UK release of oil tanker held in Gibraltar -- Al Jazeera
Iran condemns, US applauds Britain's seizure of Iranian oil tanker at Gibraltar -- France 24

Iran Blamed For This Summer's Cyber Attack Against The British Parliament

The Guardian: Iran to blame for cyber-attack on MPs' emails – British intelligence

Evidence points to Iran, says unpublished report, after initial suspicion of Russia and North Korea dismissed

Iran is being blamed for a cyber-attack in June on the email accounts of dozens of MPs, according to an unpublished assessment by British intelligence. Disclosure of the report, first revealed by the Times but independently verified by the Guardian, comes at an awkward juncture. Donald Trump made it clear on Friday that he wants to abandon the Iran nuclear deal. But European leaders, including Theresa May, want to retain it.

Initial suspicion for the attack fell on Russia, but this has now been discounted. The evidence amassed is pinpointing Iran, according to the assessment. A spokesperson for the National Cyber Security Centre, the government body responsible for helping to counter attacks, said: “It would be inappropriate to comment further while inquiries are ongoing.”

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WNU Editor: If true .... so much for Iran living up to the spirit of the nuclear deal.

More News On Iran Being Blamed For This Summer's Cyber Attack Against The British Parliament

Iran was behind cyber attack on British lawmakers in June: The Times -- Reuters
Iran blamed for Parliament cyber-attack -- BBC
After Trump Iran Deal Attack, Intelligence Suggests Tehran Hacked British Parliament Emails -- Newsweek
Iran hacked UK leader Theresa May's email account: report -- The Hill
Iran now main suspect in UK parliament cyberattack — report -- The Times of Israel
'Brute force' hack of British MPs blamed on Iran amid nuclear deal tensions – report -- RT
June Cyberattack On UK Lawmakers Was Carried Out By Iran, Not Russia, Says Report -- International Business Times
The UK blames Iran for this summer's cyberattack against parliament -- The Verge
Iran blamed for cyberattack on UK parliament -- Engadget

Iran Claims To Have Captured A Spy Who Works For Britain's MI6

Iran Arrests Spy For Britain's MI6: Fars News Agency -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Iranian intelligence authorities have arrested a man on charges of spying for Britain's MI6, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Saturday.

The head of the Kerman region's revolutionary court, Dadkhoda Salari, told the agency the suspect made contact with British agents 11 times in recent months, inside and outside the country.

According to Salari, the suspect has admitted his guilt and he is currently on trial.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office in London said: "We don't comment on intelligence matters."

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More News On Iranian Claims That They Have Captured A Spy Who Works For Britain's MI6

Iran Arrests MI6 Spy -- FARS News Agency
MI6 agent captured in Iran: Authorities claim they have arrested a man who was spying for Britain’s intelligence service -- Daily Mail
Iran claims it has captured MI6 spy in Kerman -- The Independent
Iran claims to have captured spy working with MI6 -- Channel 4 News Agency
Report: Iran arrests alleged MI6 spy working for Britain in Iran -- CNN

Who Was Behind The British Embassy Attack In Tehran?

British Embassy Attack Was State-Sponsored, Experts Claim -- Deutsche Welle

A day after Iranian protesters stormed the British embassy in Tehran, Britain has said it is withdrawing its diplomats, and closing Iran's embassy in London . The question that remains is - who was behind the attack?

Images broadcast on Iranian state television on Tuesday showed an angry crowd of mostly men gathered in front of the British embassy in Tehran. Women enveloped in black stood at the back.

Chanting "death to England," a group of protesters stormed the embassy compound and a diplomatic residence while the security forces simply stood by.

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More News On Iran's Attack On The British Embassy, And It's Aftermath

Britain evacuates all embassy staff after Iran protesters storm compounds -- CNN
Britain evacuates its diplomats from Iran; Norway shuts embassy -- Miami Herald/Christian Science Monitor
UK to expel all Iranian diplomats over embassy attack -- BBC
Britain orders Iran's diplomats to leave UK -- AP
Iran faces increased isolation after attack on British Embassy -- Washington Post
Trouble in Tehran -- Financial Times
Time for a geography lesson, Mr President? Obama blunders as he condemns attack on the 'English' Embassy in Tehran -- Daily Mail
Iran and UK - centuries of mistrust -- Olivia Lang, BBC
Expelling Iran's diplomats: a dangerous showdown -- Mark Malloch-Brown, The Guardian
Iran's mullahs come out fighting -- Con Coughlin, The Telegraph

Iranians Storm British Embassy In Tehran

Protesters Storm British Embassy in Tehran -- New York Times

LONDON — In the latest sign of deteriorating relations with the West, a group of Iranian protesters stormed the British Embassy compound in Tehran on Tuesday, chanting “death to England,” tearing down a British flag and ransacking offices, according to British officials and images broadcast live on state-run Iranian television.

One Iranian news agency said six embassy workers had been taken hostage , but withdrew the report from its Web site minutes later with no explanation, Reuters reported. The semi-official Mehr news agency initially said: “Students from universities in Tehran took hostage six people working for the British embassy in Qolhak garden,” referring to the compound that protesters stormed earlier on Tuesday.

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More News On Iranian Radicals Storming The British Embassy In Tehran

Iran protesters attack UK embassy in Tehran - live -- The Guardian
British embassy attack in Iran: live -- The Telegraph
Iran protesters storm UK embassy in Tehran -- BBC
Iranian TV shows protesters storming British Embassy in Tehran -- The Telegraph
Iran: British embassy attack brings to mind US siege -- The Telegraph
Iranians Storm British Embassy -- Voice of America
British embassy in Iran attacked -- The Independent
Iranian protesters storm British embassy -- Reuters
Iranian students storm British Embassy in Tehran -- AP
Iran protesters storm British embassy -- AFP
Protesters storm British Embassy in Tehran -- RIA Novosti
Iranian protesters storm UK embassy -- Al Jazeera

UK Preparing Contingency Measures To Assist U.S. Military Action Against Iran

Photo: US Navy Photos via U.S. Naval Forces, 5th Fleet Public Affairs. Blackfive

UK Military Steps Up Plans For Iran Attack Amid Fresh Nuclear Fears -- The Guardian

British officials consider contingency options to back up a possible US action as fears mount over Tehran's capability.

Britain's armed forces are stepping up their contingency planning for potential military action against Iran amid mounting concern over Tehran's nuclear enrichment programme, the Guardian has learned.

The Ministry of Defence believes the US may decide to fast-forward plans for targeted missile strikes at some key Iranian facilities. British officials say that if Washington presses ahead it will seek, and receive, UK military help for any mission, despite some deep reservations within the coalition government.

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Update: Report: U.K. preparing for military strike on Iran nuclear facilities -- Haaretz

My Comment: I am not privy to the information that The Guardian has .... but I am not surprised by it. Every country has contingency plans, and the fact that the U.K. .... by its close association with the U.S. .... should have contingency plans to assist the U.S. in the event of a shooting war with Iran .... no one should be surprised by the release of this news at all. What concerns me is the possibility that Israeli actions may precipitate such a shooting war, with the result that everyone in the Middle East then becomes involved in this conflict. In the event such a conflict breaks out .... let us hope that everyone's contingency plans (and I mean everyone's contingency plans) will minimize and/or prevent such a war.

Iran Accusses Britain Of Supporting Terrorism In Iran. Hardliners Threaten To Overrun British Embassy

Smoke rises from inside the British embassy compound in Tehran after 200 Iranian students threw fireworks and rocks at the building on April 2, 2006. Photo from The Daily Mail

Iranian Hardliners Threaten To Overrun British Embassy -- The Telegraph

Iranian hardliners threatened to overrun the British embassy in Tehran after the Islamic regime accused the intelligence services of supporting terrorist attacks inside Iran.

Sardar Mohammad Reza Baghdi, a leader of the Basij militia that led the orchestrated assault on pro-democracy demonstrations following last year's rigged presidential election, condemned the British mission as a "nest of spies".

Iranian newspapers said that British intelligence was offering terrorist groups a $20,000 (£13,000) bounty for attacks on officials and installations.

Heydar Moslehi, Iran's interior minister, accused MI6 of supporting at least two underground groups it has branded as terrorists.

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My Comment: This diplomatic crisis first started when Iran's spiritual leader accused foreign countries of supporting Iranian opposition groups that are banned by the Government. But it is the economy that everyone in Iran is focused on, and it appears that sanctions are now starting to bite.