Iran escalation?

Trollslayer

Who last took over Afghanistan? No one can remember.

Rasczak

A third major warship heading to the Gulf:
UK to send third major warship to Gulf amid Iran tensions

blackrod

Well it has escalated for certain now...

raduv1

And then some , this is turning into a tinder box . Retaliation of UK seizing Grace One in Gibraltar.  Not sure if Trump himself will back us up TBH with recent events and his petty mindedness and being unwilling to push the US into another conflict, middle East wise.

Sonic67

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/iran-seize-second-british-tanker-in-one-day/

Sonic67

Charles Lister on Twitter

                                                                       

richp007

Worrying times ahead. With the breaching of their uranium limit as well, Iran are treading some dangerous ground here.

Trollslayer

They have had enough of the US trying to start a war then the UK seized a tanker and yes, I do know it was destined for North Korea.

DemonAV

That would be Boaty McBoatface armed with extinction rebellion activists.
Do we actually have a force anymore? Our carrier is in for repairs and has no aircraft.

Rasczak

I don't think there is any dispute that we have insufficient warships for sustained escort duties in the region.  Around 20 British flagged ships sail through the Straits of Hormuz every day and we only have two warships in the region capable of escorting them (you may see reports in the papers saying we have seven ships in the region but one is an auxiliary ship and four are minehunters, all of which are too slow and too lightly armed for escort duties).

Apparently HMS Montrose was racing to the scene of the Stena Impero but arrived 10 minutes too late.  The navy is too thinly spread and this shortfall is massively compounded by the lack of a fully generated RAF Maritime Patrol capability, both consequences of some very ill-judged decisions in 2010.  If the situation continues to worsen, then we will be reliant on our allies/other nations in the region to protect the bulk of British shipping.

Of course the key aim must be political de-escalation.  We can't afford a war with Iran anymore than they can.  And I can't imagine, despite the rhetoric, that Trump wants one this side of the 2020 elections either.  Perhaps now each side has seized a tanker, there is an opportunity to take stock.