London | Britain has joined the United States in a maritime security mission in the Gulf to protect merchant vessels travelling through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran seized a British-flagged vessel.
The announcement comes less than a day after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in Sydney alongside the new US Defence Secretary Mark Esper, urging Prime Minister Scott Morrison to send Australian navy vessels to the area.
British officials stressed on Monday (Tuesday AEST) that there was no change to London’s policy on Iran but joining the US is the most significant non-Brexit foreign policy move to date of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s 12-day-old government.
Just two weeks ago, Britain was calling for a European-led naval mission. Now, it has joined what it said was a US-led “international maritime security mission”.
No other countries are yet involved.
“It is vital to secure the freedom for all international shipping to navigate the Strait of Hormuz without delay, given the increased threat,” said British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.
“The deployment of Royal Navy assets is a sign of our commitment to our UK flagged vessels and we look forward to working alongside the US and others to find an international solution to the problems in the Strait of Hormuz.”
The US Defence Department welcomed the British decision.
Read the article by Guy Faulconbridge in the Australian Financial Review.