In light of Iran's rejection .. France supports Britain's quest to form a European force in the Gulf

France is working to establish a European initiative with Britain and Germany to ensure a maritime security surveillance mission in the Persian Gulf, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Lauderane said on Tuesday. Tehran has rejected efforts by foreign powers to build alliances to ensure the safety of Gulf waters.

France's foreign minister told his country's parliamentarians that the French initiative did not amount to backing Britain's call for a naval force to ensure security in the region. Ludran said calm was needed after Iran seized a British tanker.

Britain's Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt said on Wednesday that his country was seeking to form a European-led naval force to protect shipping in Gulf waters, in coordination with the United States. In a speech to his country's parliament, Hunt described Iran's detention of a British oil tanker last Friday as a state piracy.

American endeavor
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also said earlier that his country was in the process of establishing an alliance in which all countries of the world would participate to keep the shipping lanes open in the Strait of Hormuz.

French Defense Minister Florence Barley expressed solidarity with Britain, which is still holding its oil tanker. Barley said in a tweet that she had spoken by telephone with her British counterpart (Defense Minister), saying that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz was a major security bet for the Europeans.

In the same context, the Saudi cabinet called on the international community to take the necessary action to reject and deter any violation of maritime shipping. The Council called Iran's detention of a British vessel in the Gulf as a violation of international law.

Swedish oil company Stena Polk said it was still waiting for the Iranian authorities to visit the tanker, which had a crew of 23 from India, Russia, Latvia and the Philippines. The company, in a statement, And return them safely to their families.

Iranian criticism
Iran has criticized the efforts of Western powers to form a military force to secure navigation in the waters of the Gulf. Iranian Vice President Ishaq Jahangiri said that countries seeking to form foreign alliances in the region are the main reason for destabilizing security in any region.

The Iranian official said that resolving tensions in the region needed dialogue rather than a military alliance. "Achieving security in the Strait of Hormuz is linked to ending the pressure on Iran and entering into logical talks with it," he said.

The Gulf region is experiencing an escalating tension intensified after Iran seized the British oil tanker, what Arab and Western countries considered a threat to navigation, while Tehran said the reason for the detention was the airline's failure to observe international maritime laws.

The detention came hours after a court in Gibraltar announced the extension of the detention of an Iranian oil tanker for 30 days, two weeks after being caught in an operation involving the Royal Navy, on suspicion that it was heading to Syria to deliver a load of oil, in violation of US and European sanctions.

Nuclear agreement
Separately, officials from the foreign ministries of the parties to the Iranian nuclear deal will meet next Sunday in the Austrian capital Vienna to find a way out of the crisis, especially in the light of Iran's reduction of its commitments and the consequences of the US withdrawal from the agreement and imposing severe sanctions on Tehran.

The European Union diplomatic department said in a statement that the Sunday meeting - which will not involve America - will focus on issues related to the implementation of the nuclear agreement in various respects, and officials are expected to agree on a date for a meeting of foreign ministers.