LONDON, July 19 (Reuters) – British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said London would respond in a considered but robust way to the seizure of a British tanker by Iranian guards, and warned that Tehran would be the biggest loser if freedom of navigation is restricted.
Hunt said he had spoken to U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo to discuss the situation, and expected to speak to his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, who he said was currently in a plane.
“This is completely unacceptable,” Hunt said. “We will respond in a way that is considered but robust.
“We are not looking at military options, we are looking at a diplomatic way to resolve the situation but we are very clear that it must be resolved.
“If freedom of navigation is restricted Iran is the biggest loser, it is in their interests to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.”
(Reporting by Kate Holton Editing by Andrew Heavens)