Called for Britain .. A military meeting in Bahrain to discuss the security of navigation and Germany rejects the American initiative

Bahrain will host a military meeting on Wednesday to discuss maritime security in the Gulf region after a series of attacks on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, raising tensions between Iran and the United States and Britain.

Britain has invited military representatives from the United States, France and other European countries to the Bahrain meeting to discuss plans to form an international naval mission to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

British government sources said the proposal to form a European-led maritime protection force was still in place despite former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt's departure, but acknowledged that the success of the force would depend on the US contribution, both under its leadership and with its support.

"The Kingdom of Bahrain is hosting an important international military meeting today, which will discuss the current situation in the region and ways to enhance international cooperation, coordination and consultation," the foreign ministry said in Manama.

"The aim is to address the repeated attacks and reprehensible practices of Iran and its terrorist groups, which target the security of international shipping in the waters of the Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, and threaten the stability of the region and the world as a whole," the statement said.

Bahrain has already announced the hosting of another international meeting to discuss navigation security, which could be held in October.

The United States accused Iran of being behind attacks on tankers in May and June, which Tehran rejected.

On July 19, Iran also detained Swedish oil tanker Stena Ampero, who was flying the British flag on suspicion of "disrespect for the international law of the sea." This occurred 15 days after the British authorities in Gibraltar arrested the Iranian oil tanker "Grays 1".

Germany is cautious
On the other hand, Foreign Minister Haikou Mas confirmed that his country will not participate in the US initiative to protect navigation in the Straits of Hormuz.

He called for avoiding escalation in the region, stressing that there is no military solution to the crisis with Iran.

US government spokesman Olrike Demmer on Monday declared a "reservation" to Washington's request to join a naval force to help secure the strait, which would block European efforts to reach a diplomatic settlement with Iran.

"In our view, the priority is diplomatic efforts and defusing the oil tanker crisis between Tehran and London," she told a news conference in Berlin.

"The government is conservative about the US proposal and that is why it did not propose to participate," she said. "The overall approach of our policy toward Iran is significantly different from that currently pursued by Washington."

Deputy Chancellor and Finance Minister Olaf Schultz expressed skepticism about the United States' request that his country join a military mission in the Strait of Hormuz.

The minister said - in a statement to a German channel - to the presence of others shared by this uncertainty, pointing out the need to avoid military escalation in the region.

He added that the idea of ​​sending a military force there is not good because it involves the risk of sliding into a larger conflict.

For his part, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament Norbert Rotgen Washington is seeking to undermine Iran by isolating it in the region. He explained that this attempt is not true, and that the difference of views between Berlin and Washington on this matter makes the movement of the two countries together impossible.

Tensions have been rising in this strategic region since Washington withdrew in May 2018 from the International Agreement on Iran's nuclear program in 2015 and imposed harsh sanctions on Tehran, tightened in May.