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ran is at a crossroads in its relations with the rest of the world, Dominic Raab said as the aftermath of the deadly attack on the Mercer Street oil tanker continued.
The drone attack on the ship killed British Army veteran Adrian Underwood, who was guarding the ship, with Tehran being held responsible by Great Britain.
The foreign minister said the door was ajar for talks with Iran but warned that the country would be held responsible for the attack on the ship off the coast of Oman.
With the inauguration of new President Ebrahim Raisi, Raab said Iran had a choice to make.
“We know this is a turning point for Iran. A new president will be sworn in this week.
“And there are a number of options at the crossroads: If they continue to harass or attack ships and shipping in the Middle East, if they continue their destabilizing activities through their deputies, if they continue to abide by their nuclear commitments under the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) and if they continue to arrest arbitrary prisoners, as was the case with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Anoosheh Ashoori, Morad Tahbaz, we will collect costs and hold them accountable.
“Likewise, the door is always open to diplomacy and a better way forward, as we have shown over the past two years.
“But we cannot have incidents like the attack off the coast of Oman without Iran being held accountable.”
The July 29 attack on the Mercer Street oil tanker killed Mr Underwood, who was named by the security firm Ambrey, and a Romanian national who was reported to be the ship’s captain.
The Metropolitan Police said their Counter Terrorism Command was working to assist the UK Coroner Office to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr Underwood’s death.
John Thompson, Ambrey Managing Director, said: “While the formal identification process is still ongoing, we are sad to announce that the British citizen killed in the security incident aboard the M / T Mercer Street ship was Adrian Underwood.
“Adrian was a former British Army soldier with excellent service.
“He joined Ambrey in 2020 and his qualities were quickly recognized when he was quickly promoted from maritime safety officer to team leader.
“We are still in contact with Adrian’s family to support them through this sad and difficult time and ask you to respect their privacy. I know Adrian will be missed very much by everyone he has worked with. “
The Met said: “The Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command is assisting the UK Coroner’s Office to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the British citizen.
“The officers will collect evidence to help the coroner determine who the deceased was and where, when and how death occurred.”
Mr. Raab discussed the situation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said the couple spoke about “ongoing efforts to forge a coordinated response to Iran’s attack on Mercer Street.”
Iran denies responsibility for the incident.
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