Britain is preparing to deploy a Royal Navy evacuation vessel to the Strait of Hormuz, equipped with a fleet of autonomous drones designed for mine detection and clearance, to facilitate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, according to The Times newspaper.
Last week, the UK said the ship, which had been undergoing routine maintenance in Gibraltar, was sent to the Mediterranean where it is undertaking training drills.
Sources told The Times that Defense Secretary John Healey has reportedly authorized the development of plans for the vessel to move into the Arabian Gulf.
The ship will be retrofitted with multiple autonomous systems, including underwater drones and mine-hunting boats, which operate under a plug-and-play command and control configuration.
A defense source told The Times that “no decision” had yet been taken on deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, adding: “This preventative step gives ministers options should they be needed to help resume the normal flow of merchant shipping.”
About a fifth of global oil and LNG normally passes through the strait. On 2 March, in response to US-Israeli strikes, Iran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz. Two days later, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has asserted full, proactive control over the strait.
Lloyd’s List, a maritime intelligence company, reported that since the start of the war, 16 ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding region, triggering severe maritime disruption.
US intelligence assessments indicate that at least a dozen mines, including Maham 3 and Maham 7 limpet devices, are present in the area, along with concerns over ten Ghadir-class midget submarines, which could further impede commercial navigation.
Meanwhile, the US sped up its military presence in the Middle East by the arrival of approximately 3,500 US Marines and sailors aboard the USS Tripoli, bringing transport and strike aircraft, amphibious assault assets, and tactical units, according to a statement by US Central Command. The move is part of a broader buildup in the region designed to protect navigation and secure the strait.
The closure of the narrow channel has sparked global fuel price with nearly 2,000 vessels trapped in the Arabian Gulf, according to the International Maritime Organization.
The British government is considering a scheme to help households if they are hit with soaring energy costs this winter. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves said last week that the government is considering support for households to offset the increase in energy costs if the conflict in the Middle East continues.
Citing ongoing talks with Iran, US President Donald Trump said last week he was delaying a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face destruction of its power plants.
He said the US and Iran have been meeting “directly and indirectly” and that Iran’s new leaders have been “very reasonable.”
Trump had previously urged allies to dispatch warships to the region to aid in reopening the strait, though Western nations have thus far refrained from doing so.
The President has renewed his criticism of the UK government over its response to the Iran conflict and warned the NATO military alliance faced a “very bad” future if its members failed to help reopen the strait.
