A team of British military officers has been dispatched to the United States to assist Donald Trump in plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
This small group of planners has been sent to US Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, where they are expected to help develop contingency plans and explore various courses of action for ships to pass through the waterway, which Iran has blockaded.
The UK government has received several options from senior military officials, including General Sir Gwyn Jenkins.
However, the Royal Navy is reportedly reluctant to deploy warships to the region due to the significant threat posed by the Iranian regime, including potential attacks using drones, ballistic missiles, and anti-ship cruise missiles.
A senior UK defence source described the situation as “incredibly fluid” and noted, “I don’t see many nations being willing to send warships into the middle of that threat right now.”
This escalation follows an Iranian missile strike on Wednesday night against the world’s largest liquefied natural gas export facility in Qatar, which triggered a surge in Brent crude prices to over $111 a barrel.
Qatari authorities confirmed that Ras Laffan Industrial City suffered “extensive damage” in the attack.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry condemned the strike as a “dangerous escalation,” a “flagrant violation of state sovereignty,” and “a direct threat to national security and regional stability.”
The Iranian attack reportedly came after Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field, which prompted President Trump to criticise Israel for what he deemed excessive violence.
In the days leading up to the attack, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had threatened to target energy facilities in the Gulf in response to Israel’s operations.
Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly criticised Sir Keir Starmer regarding the UK’s response, accusing the Prime Minister of refusing to deploy aircraft carriers or warships to the Middle East.
“This doesn’t sound like a great country. This doesn’t sound like a friendly country,” the US President remarked, adding that a British aircraft carrier would only be offered “after we essentially won.”
