London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

British Navy to escort UK-flagged ships though Strait of Hormuz after Soleimani killing

British Navy to escort UK-flagged ships though Strait of Hormuz after Soleimani killing

The UK Defense Ministry has ordered its Navy vessels to provide “protection” to all British-flagged ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf following the death of Iran’s top general in a US drone attack.
The ministry has ordered the Royal Navy’s HMS Montrose frigate and HMS Defender destroyer to prepare for accompanying all vessels sailing under the British flag through the Hormuz Strait - the only passage from the Persian Gulf to the ocean that lies between the Iranian and UAE coasts.

"The government will take all necessary steps to protect our ships and citizens at this time," Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said, commenting on the decision. The move comes after the US killed Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ elite Special Force, on orders from President Donald Trump.

The attack dramatically heightened tensions in the Middle East as Tehran labeled it an act of international terrorism and vowed revenge. Washington maintained it was an act of “self-defense.” London apparently share its ‘strategic ally’s’ position as Wallace also said that the US “is entitled to defend itself against those posing an imminent threat to their citizens” under international law.

However, he also called for “de-escalation.” The spike of tensions in the Middle East apparently unnerved the British government as the UK Foreign Ministry already advised its citizens against traveling to Iraq and Iran.

"Given heightened tensions in the region, the Foreign Office now advise people not to travel to Iraq, with the exception of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and to consider carefully whether it's essential to travel to Iran," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement.

London already sent its warships to patrol the Hormuz Strait amid another crisis related to Iran earlier this year. The tensions were sparked in early July after the seizure of an Iranian-flagged tanker by the British marines off the coast of Gibraltar. Iran denounced the act of “state piracy” and retaliated by seizing a UK-flagged vessel as it entered the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian tanker was released in late August and the British one a month later. The crisis was instrumentalized by Washington, which used it to call for a coalition to police Western tankers traveling through the Hormuz Strait - and London was one of the first to join it.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×