Britian has sent two warships to the Persian Gulf in a bid to protect citizens in the wake of Donald Trump’s decision to kill Iran’s top general Qassem Soleimani.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, confirmed that the government had ordered the vessels on Saturday night ‘to take all necessary steps to protect our ships and citizens at this time’.
In a statement, Wallace also said President Trump acted lawfully in his decision to launch a US airstrike at Baghdad Airport killing Soleimani.
He said the HMS Montrose and HMS Defender have been sent back to resume maritime patrols in the Strait of Hormuz, between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. They will accompany British-flagged ships to ensure they make it safely through the Strait, which is a particularly vulnerable area as 30 per cent of the world’s oil passes through it from the Gulf to the oceans.
Wallace said on Saturday night: ‘Yesterday I spoke to my US counterpart Secretary Esper and we urge all parties to engage to de-escalate the situation. During the last few months US forces in Iraq, who are based in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government, have been repeatedly attacked by Iranian backed militia.
