Iran Loves This: The Royal Navy Doesn’t Have Enough Ships to Patrol Persian Gulf
The Royal Navy plans briefly to double its number of warships in the Persian Gulf following an attempted attack by Iranian forces on a British oil tanker on June 20, 2019.
But the temporary increase in British warships in the region, from one to two, underscores just how few ships the Royal Navy can deploy even in an emergency.
Iranian boats tried to “impede” the British oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz, the BBC reported. HMS Montrose, a Type 23 frigate, “was forced to move between the three boats and the tanker,” according to the BBC.
FBI investigates suspected homicide aboard MSC Seascape cruise ship after sudden return to Texas
Arizona Republican holds House seat, surviving re-election scare
White House doubles down after Trump angers base by floating illegal alien deal with Dems
Hakeem Jeffries’ Speakership Hopes Take a Blow as Newly Elected Democrats Bring Chaos on Their First Day in D.C.
Next Generation OPIR GEO: Building America’s gateway to the future of space-based missile warning and tracking
Three Former Trump Admin Officials Launch $1 Billion Company That Puts a New Spin on Data Centers
Spanish prime minister calls meeting over ‘migration emergency’ as thousands surge into Canary Islands
Two people arrested after vehicle crashes into sidewalk near White House
Secret Service arrests two after car crash and barricade breach outside White House
Trump’s Sudden Reversal on Immigration Sparks Cries of ‘Betrayal’ from Conservatives, Cheers from Pro-Amnesty GOP Rep.
Kathy Hochul entertains massive political promotion as Democrats look ahead to 2028
Multiple Senate Republicans Throw a Wrench in John Thune’s Bid to Retain Leadership Spot
Bombshell Video – Trump Retreats on Deportations: ICE Operations ‘Too Tough,’ Deporting Millions ‘Pretty Far Right’
Bombshell Video – Trump Retreats on Deportations: ICE Operations ‘Too Tough,’ Deporting Millions ‘Pretty Far Right’
GOP faces daunting post-election test as grip on Congress nears end and more top headlines
The British government claimed the attacking boats belonged to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps militia. The IRGC also allegedly was behind several recent bomb attacks targeting oil tankers in the Gulf and surrounding waters.
Tensions have escalated in the Middle East following U.S. president Donald Trump decision unilaterally to withdraw the United States from the 2015 deal limiting Iran’s nuclear program. After Trump restored economic sanctions, Tehran resumed stockpiling uranium.
The July 2019 tanker incident compelled the Royal Navy to accelerate by several weeks a planned deployment to the Gulf by the Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan. Montrose and Duncan together will patrol the Persian Gulf before Montrose returns to U.K. waters for maintenance.
Duncan sailed south through the Bosphorus on July 13, 2019. The destroyer had been in the Black Sea region for NATO exercises.
