The United Kingdom announced on Saturday that it would “preposition in the Middle East” a destroyer, the HMS Dragon, currently in the Mediterranean, in anticipation of the deployment of a future international mission to secure maritime transport in the Strait of Hormuz.
“This prepositioning of HMS Dragon is part of rigorous planning to ensure that the United Kingdom is ready, as part of a multinational coalition jointly led by the United Kingdom and France, to secure the strait, when conditions permit,” said the British Ministry of Defense.
“Securing merchant ships”
In mid-April, several countries not directly involved in the conflict triggered on February 28 by the American-Israeli strikes on Iran said they were ready to set up a “neutral mission” in order to secure the strait.
The objective is “to support and secure merchant ships which will transit in the Gulf”, declared French President Emmanuel Macron. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke of a “peaceful and defensive” force.
This mission is intended to be complementary to that promoted by the United States, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on May 1, while the United States asked the Europeans to help them secure passage through the strait.
The strait, a major source of tensions
Tehran’s blockage of this strategic passage for maritime transport, particularly of hydrocarbons, has shaken the world economy, and some 1,500 ships and 20,000 crew members are stuck there.
The strait has become a major focus of tensions between the United States and Iran, and sporadic clashes take place there despite the ceasefire in force since April 8 between the two countries.
Washington, for its part, is blockading Iranian ports, while negotiations aimed at putting a lasting end to hostilities are stalling.