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British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt on July 22, 2019 in front of British MPs announced that London wants to set up a European protection mission in the Gulf. Handout / PRU / AFP

Following a crisis meeting chaired by Prime Minister Theresa May and consultations with its European allies, the UK announced on Monday its response to Iran's arrest of the British-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. Chief Diplomat Jeremy Hunt made a statement to Parliament.

With our correspondent in London , Muriel Delcroix

Jeremy Hunt described the capture of Stena Impero and his crew as a " state piracy act " and warned that if Iran continued to do so, it would have to accept an " increased Western presence " in the Persian Gulf.

The main measure announced by the head of diplomacy is the establishment of a maritime protection mission in the Strait of Hormuz to ensure the free navigation.

This force will be created by the European countries and will not include the United States, specified Jeremy Hunt who insisted that the United Kingdom did not share the policy of maximum pressure applied by Donald Trump on Iran .

The head of diplomacy said he regretted the escalation and said that London did not seek confrontation with Tehran. After the publication of video images of the 23 sailors of the boarded tanker who seem well treated, the British government has called for the immediate release of the tanker and in the meantime has raised a new level of security in the Gulf.