UK defence minister rebuffs criticism over tanker seized in Gulf

Tobias Ellwood denies Britain took ‘eye off the ball’ and says priority is to reduce tensions The defence minister, Tobias Ellwood, has rejected the charge that a British-flagged tanker seized by Iran in the Gulf could have been better protected, and said a priority for the UK must be to de-escalate tensions. Ellwood also called for more spending on the Royal Navy, and said the US’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal had played a part in the increasing tensions in the region. Continue reading...