DUBAI: The United States is struggling to win its allies' support for an initiative to heighten surveillance of vital Middle East oil shipping ...
DUBAI: The United States is struggling to win its allies' support for an initiative to heighten surveillance of vital Middle East oil shipping lanes because of fears it will increase tension with Iran, six sources familiar with the matter said.
Addressing such concerns or possible misunderstandings, Kathryn Wheelbarger, one of the most senior policy officials at the Pentagon, told Reuters in an interview that the new initiative was"not about military confrontation."Under Washington's proposal, the United States would provide coordinating ships and lead surveillance efforts while allies would patrol nearby waters and escort commercial vessels with their nation's flags.
A senior Western official based in Beijing said there was"no way" China would join a maritime coalition. A South Korean official said Washington had yet to make any official request. "It's just impossible. The Strait is already too crowded," an Asian official said of an escort system in the Strait of Hormuz which is 21 miles wide at its narrowest point.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are already patrolling the coastline off Yemen where they are leading a coalition battling the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, though the UAE has said it is scaling down its presence there.
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