UK to send third major warship to Gulf amid Iran tensions
Tehran will see the action as an "escalation" despite the Ministry of Defence's insistence it is part of a planned deployment.
Tuesday 16 July 2019 18:14, UK
The UK is to send another major warship to the Persian Gulf amid ongoing tensions with Iran.
Frigate HMS Kent will travel to the region from mid-September to bolster the Royal Navy's presence.
The UK has HMS Montrose permanently stationed in the Gulf, but the frigate will soon enter a Royal Navy base in Bahrain for around three or four weeks, in order to refuel and re-stock.
Destroyer HMS Duncan is currently en route to the Gulf, with her arrival expected by the beginning of next week, in order to provide relief and avoid a gap in the UK's deployment.
Britain also has four minehunters in the region.
The Ministry of Defence said the movements were a planned deployment - part of the longstanding Operation Kipion - and not related to the current tensions with Iran.
But Sky News defence and security correspondent Alistair Bunkall said: "Just try telling Tehran that."
He added: "Iran will see it as escalation, but the MoD are very firmly saying this is not about Iran, this was a planned deployment.
"But, either way, they will have more ships in that region to secure commercial shipping."
Tensions have mounted in the Gulf after a Royal Navy warship deterred Iranian patrol boats attempting to impede a British tanker sailing through the Strait of Hormuz.
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Iran has also demanded the immediate release of its own oil tanker, captured off the coast of Gibraltar, warning the UK: "This is a dangerous game and has consequences."
In a telephone call on Saturday, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt sought to reassure his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, the vessel was intercepted over suspicions it was carrying oil to Syria - and not because it was Iranian.
Mr Hunt said he had offered to facilitate the oil tanker's release in return for guarantees from Tehran that it would not breach EU sanctions on Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime.
Sky News understands British ships have been warned to keep alert for Iranian patrol boats "being aggressive towards them".
Some 15 to 30 British-flagged tankers and other large ships are in the Persian Gulf on a daily basis.
Between one and three pass through the Strait of Hormuz every 24 hours.
Mr Hunt has vowed to add more warships to Britain's fleet if he wins the Conservative leadership race and becomes prime minister next week.