The British Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday the arrival of a second British warship to the Gulf to strengthen the protection of tankers and other vessels, in the presence of threats from Iran.
The ministry said in a statement posted on its Twitter page that the destroyer "HMS Duncan" will join the frigate "HMS Montrose" to support the safe passage of British-flagged vessels across the Strait of Hormuz to ensure safety of the shipping industry. . "Freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is not only vital for the UK, but also for our partners and international allies," British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in the same statement. "While we continue to press for a diplomatic resolution that makes this possible again without military escort, the Royal Navy will continue to provide guarantees for British ships until this is the reality," he added. Since July 19, the Iranian authorities have been holding the British oil tanker "Stina Empero" in the waters of the Gulf, claiming that the tanker "did not comply with international maritime laws." This came about two weeks after the announcement of the Gibraltar government of the Crown, stop the tanker carrying Iranian crude to Syria, and its detention and cargo, because of "violation of sanctions" on the Syrian regime.
