The foreign minister of Britain, Dominic Raab said that in his meeting with his French and German counterparts he will demand more international support for navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Raab will be meeting with the foreign ministers of European countries in Helsinki.

On Friday, August 30, Raab told the reporters: “We...need the broadest international support possible to tackle the threats to international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz."

In response to the seizure of Adrian Darya 1 (Grace 1 at the time) in Gibraltar by the British forces, the IRGC seized a British tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. It was expected that after the release of Adrian Darya 1, the IRGC would release the British tanker, but it still has the ship in custody.

Dominic Raab emphasized on protecting the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), saying: “JCPOA is the only agreement on the table which prevents Iran from accessing nuclear weapons and we will work together to encourage Iran to fully comply with this agreement.”

The United States has invited 60 countries to join its coalition to protect maritime security. According to Brian Hook, US Special Representative for Iran, 30 countries have accepted to join the coalition.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has refused to join the coalition and announced that Europe will deliberate on creating a separate naval force.

The defense minister of France also supported the idea of a European “preventive presence” in the Persian Gulf.

While the United States has left the JCPOA, the European parties to the deal still believe the deal is the best measure to prevent the Islamic Republic from having nuclear weapons.