Naval vessels redeployed to area following the US’s drone strike on Qassem Suleimani
The Royal Navy will accompany ships through the Strait of Hormuz amid soaring tensions in the Middle East, following the US’s fatal drone strike on Iran’s top general.
The imminent move to protect UK-flagged ships came on Saturday as the Foreign Office was strengthening its travel warnings across the region as fears of all-out war heightened.
He said he had instructed the HMS Montrose frigate and the HMS Defender destroyer to return to the key oil passage imminently, adding: “The government will take all necessary steps to protect our ships and citizens at this time. ”
After speaking to his US counterpart Mark Esper on Friday, Wallace said American forces have been “repeatedly attacked by Iranian-backed militia” in Iraq during “the last few months”.
“General Suleimani has been at the heart of the use of proxies to undermine neighbors sovereign nations and target Iran’s enemies,” Wallace added.
“Under international law the United States is entitled to defend itself against those posing an imminent threat to their citizens.”
The practice of escorting ships in the Strait of Hormuz was stood down in November, after being used during the fall-out from the seizure of the British-flagged (********************************** Stena Imperotanker by Iran in July (**********************************. ********
The difference this time, the Ministry of Defense was keen to stress, was that UK ships now have a choice to navigate the waters without an escort at their own risk.
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