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The United Kingdom is examining possible options to help protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks.
British Defense Secretary John Healey also signaled that British forces should be ready in coordination with allies to evacuate British nationals from the Middle East if the US and Israel's war with Iran worsens.
He said he had spoken yesterday with his counterparts in the so-called E5 group of European powers, which includes Germany, France, Italy and Poland, to discuss the crisis.
Regarding the threat to oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, the senior cabinet minister said the best way to unblock the vital waterway would be an end to the war between the US, Israel and Iran.
However, as the conflict continues and tankers are on fire, he said he has asked his military planners to consider what the UK could offer alongside other countries to protect commercial tankers that must pass through the Strait from attacks by Iranian drones, mines and missiles.
This could include autonomous ships that can combat mines. In addition, the British military has personnel based at a headquarters in Bahrain with expertise in commanding maritime security operations.
The UK is already sending HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer with significant air defence capabilities, to bolster its defences in the region. The ship could also be an option if there is any move to protect shipping.
" Recognizing the huge impact this potentially has on oil prices and the cost of living, there is an international imperative to try and resolve this issue. Today I have spoken to planners about additional options that we can bring forward together with allies if necessary," Healey said, referring to the disruption of the flow of tankers carrying oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz.
However, Healey stressed that this work was in its early stages and that there is no final decision yet.
“You shouldn’t interpret this as if we have some difficult options to implement. But... I am discussing additional options with our planners ,” he said.
Healey added that he had spoken to E5 defence ministers about greater coordination in the Eastern Mediterranean. He signalled that this could also mean any future evacuation efforts.
"If this conflict worsens, we must be ready if evacuations are required ," he told commanders.
The UK has placed the RFA Lyme Bay, a large support ship, on heightened readiness to deploy, in a sign of the type of assets being prepared.
However, options to help protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz or to carry out evacuations are more limited than they have been in the past following defence cuts. A decade ago, the Royal Navy had at least one large warship operating from Bahrain and up to four minesweepers, each a large crewed vessel, as well as a large support vessel.
Today, there are no warships based in Bahrain, with the last manned minesweeper, HMS Middleton, having been sent back to the UK for maintenance.
This means that the UK can only contribute to an effort to protect shipping in the Persian Gulf alongside allies such as the United States and France.
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