Iran has threatened that the potential deployment of British and French warships in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with an "immediate decisive response". The country's deputy foreign minister said: "Any deployment and stationing of destroyers around the Strait of Hormuz, under the pretext of 'protecting shipping,' isnothing but an escalation of the crisis.
"The presence of French and British warships, in the Strait of Hormuz, potentially accompanying the illegal and internationally unlawful actions of US will be met with immediate decisive response." His statement comes after the UK Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that it was deploying itsHMS Dragon destroyer to the Middle Eastas part of any future effort to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
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The type 45 destroyer will “pre-position” in the region, ready to join the UK and French-led initiative once hostilities cease between Iran and US-Israeli forces.
The proposed mission championed by SirKeir Starmerand French President Emmanuel Macron would involve a coalition of nations willing to ensure freedom of navigation in the strait.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “We can confirm thatHMS Dragon will deploy to the Middle Eastto pre-position ahead of any future multinational mission to protect international shipping when conditions allow them to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
“The pre-positioning of HMS Dragon is part of prudent planning that will ensure that the UK is ready, as part of a multinational coalition jointly led by the UK and France, to secure the strait, when conditions allow.”
The decision to moveHMS Dragon from the eastern Mediterranean, where it had been defending British bases on Cyprus, will allow the destroyer to contribute immediately should the defensive mission in the strait be launched.
Around 40 nations are involved in the multinational plan to escort shipping through the strait when conditions allow.
Source: Daily Express :: World Feed
