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.
Video shows masked robbers crash car through jewelry store entrance, steal owner’s gun in brazen heist
Barack and Michelle Obama slam ICE after Minneapolis shooting, urge accountability
Tim Walz compares Minnesota ICE actions to Holocaust and Anne Frank: ‘Hiding in their houses’
ICE says violent mob helped criminal escape and left ICE agent permanently maimed
Iran may have killed over 30,000 protesters in two days: Report
Dems silent on Minnesota church disruption after pressing Bondi to use FACE Act on pro-lifers
Carney pushes back on Trump’s 100% tariff threat over China trade deals with Canada amid tensions
Here Are the Worst Countries on Earth for Christian Persecution
Texas cult in crosshairs of killer mom’s bathtub slayings case as questions hang over family horror
Popular Potato Product Faces Recall in 26 States
Can Trump Really Denaturalize Somalis En Masse?
Tim Walz Was the Most Scandal-Plagued Governor Running in 2026: Katie Hobbs Just Stole That Title
Mamdani announces remote school day due to dangerous winter storm conditions
GOP lawmaker renews oversight hearing request of DHS agencies following fatal shooting in Minneapolis
Terrible Sign for Midterms: GOP Losing Independents By Massive 22-Point Margin
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.
