A British Royal Navy vessel has received an assignment to accompany all vessels under the country's flag sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, the Defence Ministry stated, APA reports referring to Sputnik.
The announcement comes a day after new UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Cabinet was appointed. Military veteran and member of Parliament Ben Wallace has been given the post of Defence Secretary under the new government.
Former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt earlier shared that British military vessel, HMS Montrose, had recently escorted a number of UK-flagged ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz amid London's tensions with Tehran over a detained oil tanker in Gibraltar.
"The Royal Navy has been tasked to accompany British-flagged ships through the Strait of Hormuz, either individually or in groups, should sufficient notice be given of their passage", the government spokesperson said.
The spokesman further stressed the importance of the freedom of navigation in global trade and noted that the UK will be doing everything in its power to defend it.
The statement comes after Iran detained British tanker Stena Impero on 19 July over violations of maritime laws, after it ignored warnings, switched off its positioning device, and collided with an Iranian fishing boat. Although Tehran earlier warned that it may detain a British vessel over a conflict with London regarding the tanker Grace 1, Iranian officials noted that Stena Impero's arrest was not a "retaliation".
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