London: Underlining the escalating tensions in the Gulf region after Iran detained a British-flagged tanker, the United Kindom, France and Germany on Saturday agreed that "safe passage" for tankers through the Strait of Hormuz is necessary. The development came as British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt held talks with French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, and German foreign minister Heiko Maas reported Sputnik. "Both ministers agreed with the Foreign Secretary that safe passage for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is a top priority for European nations while avoiding any possible escalation in the region.
They agreed to keep in close contact and to work together to achieve this," Sputnik quoted an official statement as saying. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Theresa May will hold a meeting of Britain's emergencies committee on Monday to discuss Iran's seizure of a UK-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf, her office said.