Britain sends destroyer to Gulf to bolster maritime security
HMS Diamond will conduct operations to ensure freedom of navigation, reassure merchant vessels and ensure safe flow of trade, UK defense ministry says
LONDON — Britain on Thursday announced that it was sending one of its most advanced naval vessels to the Gulf to shore up its presence in the region.
The HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer, will conduct operations to ensure freedom of navigation, reassure merchant vessels and ensure the safe flow of trade, the defense ministry said.
“It is critical that the UK bolsters our presence in the region, to keep Britain and our interests safe from a more volatile and contested world,” said Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.
The deployment follows the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas and the seizure of an Israeli-linked cargo vessel, the Galaxy Leader, by Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthis in the Red Sea on November 19.
The Houthis have launched a series of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel since thousands of Hamas terrorists poured over the border into Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping about 240.
The British ministry said around 50 large merchant ships each day pass through the Bab-el-Mandeb, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, while around 115 major merchant ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The waters of the Gulf, it said, are vital routes for merchant shipping, including for tankers carrying much of the UK’s supply of liquefied natural gas.
Royal Navy vessels have been permanently deployed to the region since 1980 and since 2011 have fallen under “Operation Kipion,” the name used for the UK’s maritime presence in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean.
“Today’s deployment will strengthen the Royal Navy’s patrols, help to keep critical trade routes open and prove that our commitment to regional security not only endures but enhances,” Shapps said.
The vessel will join the frigate HMS Lancaster which deployed to the region last year, as well as three mine hunters and a support ship.
The United States has also bolstered its naval presence in the Middle East, deploying two carrier groups to the region.
On Wednesday, a US Navy warship shot down a drone over the South Red Sea launched from a part of Yemen controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the American military’s Central Command said.
The US Navy downed multiple drones launched from Yemen on November 23, one drone on November 15, and both missiles and drones on October 19, while the Houthis shot down an American drone earlier this month.
