Yes BB Britan made the 1st move . They boarded a vessel that may or may not have been in Iranain or Iraqi waters.Knowing well that the border was disputed & that they were on the fine line of it. That was their call & their move. The Iranian move was in reaction to that, weither or not it was an excuse is something else but the Brits did supply the excuse to be used.

So far their is no proof of a UN mandate, that was one of the complaints when trying to get the UN to go along & denounce the Iranain act.

The Brits are now a branch of the Iraqi Coast Guard, since when was this delegated to them & by whose authority was this duty excepted. Do we patrol Singapore's water just because we've been invited to. If one flies an Iraqi Flag in Iraqi waters then they can do as the law allows. When one flies a British Flag in British waters then they can do as the law allows. But no one has the right to board my vessel in foreign waters when flying a foreign flag. Unless they have the overwhelming firepower to do as they please.

Barry