Following a spate of attacks in the Persian Gulf, the US asked several countries, including Norway, to join in a military operation in the Strait of Hormuz, ostensibly to secure international shipping.
Former Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik of the Christian Democratic party has warned the government against supporting a US-led operation in the Persian Gulf, drawing parallels with the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
At present, the US is gathering a coalition designed to avert the perceived threat to commersial shipping in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, as Washington without hesitation blamed the previous attacks on Iran, despite a lack of evidence. Norway was asked to join as an ally, given the fact that one of the damaged tankers was Norwegian-owned.
“It is not at all self-evident that Norway should follow the US in an operation like the one being planned now”, Bondevik told the newspaper Dagbladet. While emphasising Norway's desire to accommodate “our most powerful allies”, he stressed that such an operation must not only comply with international law, but may escalate to an outright war between the US and Iran.
“This cannot be seen in isolation from the context in which it occurs, let alone the growing conflict between Iran and the US. I want to warn the government that they must consider it very carefully that an escort to protect shipping can lead to an escalation, even though it seems like a small and worthy contribution”, the former…
