Britain weighs options to deploy more forces in Persian Gulf as Iran steps up attacks on shipsDefense Secretary John Healey said Thursday. According to him, London has autonomous systems for searching for mines in the region, reports TASR based on a Reuters report. “We already have some autonomous mine detection systems in the region,” Healey said. “We are considering (but) other options that we could deploy together with our allies,” he explained.
The Royal Navy announced last week that its last minesweeper, based in Bahrain, had returned to Britain on March 1. The vessel is more than 40 years old and has not been certified for sailingspecified.
Iran has deployed approximately 12 mines in the Strait of Hormuze, two Reuters sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. That is likely to complicate any reopening of the narrow waterway, which is important for transporting oil and liquefied natural gas. The US military claims that attacked Iranian minesweepers and destroyed 16 of them on Tuesday.
On Thursday, two tankers caught fire in an Iraqi port after being hit by ships laden with explosives that appeared to belong to Iran. A few hours earlier, three other vessels were hit in the Persian Gulf. Healey called the situation a “significant escalation by Iran.” “This is a violation of international law,” Healey said. “It’s a very serious situation that affects oil prices and the cost of living for all people,” he added.
