A multinational armada of warships is expected to arrive in the Strait of Hormuz within days to protect commercial shipping from Iranian threats, The National can disclose.
Western defence officials say the naval force will be led by Britain and France, working closely with Oman, to secure the vital waterway.
The move comes as European Nato members are expected to seek to appease US President Donald Trump at the leaders' summit in Ankara, Turkey, that begins on Tuesday.
“There was an American perception regarding the war being waged in Iran and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz – a situation the Europeans had not chosen, of course – but which the Americans viewed as a lack of solidarity on the part of the Europeans,” an adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron said.
With a large number of Nato warships already stationed in the Arabian Sea, it is understood the latest fleet will be able to deploy rapidly for the operation.
A key task will be clearing the estimated 80 mines laid by the Iranians across the 34kilometre-wide strait that has been under various levels of blockade since the US-led war began in February.
Fleet assembles
Western officials have told The National that a task force made up of more than 10 European Nato members will soon be assembled.
“We expect the announcement within days to get the strait fully open and get the ships moving,” the source said. “Once it's announced, things will move quite quickly.
“The primary task is to assure mariners and shipping companies that the Strait of Hormuz is clear of mines and we are assisting to reopen it.”
Since the mid-June ceasefire, traffic through the waterway has gradually resumed but the recovery has been uneven because of mines, security concerns and insurance issues. More than 100 tankers are understood to be awaiting escort through the strait, as well as hundreds of other vessels.
The US has not said whether its forces in the region will provide assistance but the operation will include warships and minehunters from Nato members such as Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway. “There’s a whole host of nations that are going to contribute to this,” the source said.
The news comes following a joint statement by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Mr Macron in which they said restoring safe transit was “a matter of global concern”.
“The Sultanate of Oman has agreed to work with the United Kingdom and France to ensure that its sovereign territorial waters are safe for navigation,” they said. “The UK and France also stand ready to deploy the wider multinational military mission to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Mr Starmer’s spokesman said the operation would include “supporting demining in co-ordination with the Omanis and Iranians as appropriate if assistance is required and when conditions allow”.
Minehunter mother ship
The mission is expected to rely on specialist mine-warfare vessels, destroyers, frigates and support ships although France has withdrawn its carrier strike force from the area.
Britain’s main asset will be Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Lyme Bay that will be used for the first time as a “minehunting mother ship”, with an array of drones that can seek and destroy the weapons. They will be joined by mine-clearance divers and Merlin helicopters equipped for warfare and surveillance.
The air-defence destroyer HMS Dragon will provide strong surface support alongside French frigates, destroyers and minehunters.
‘In Iran’s gift’
A “coalition of the willing” of 38 nations gave political backing to the proposed mission at a defence ministers’ meeting in May, although not all pledged to supply ships.
The coalition, which includes vessels from Italy, Denmark and Canada, is described as strictly defensive. In addition to detecting and neutralising mines, it will provide merchant ship protection, air defence and co-ordination with Omani authorities.
But former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe, who transited the strait regularly in warships, said safe crossing was “in Iran’s gift” as it still had a force of drones, fast attack craft and anti-ship cruise missiles to threaten shipping.
“Teaming up with Oman is important, because Iran's counter statement to all of this was very aggressive about non-local countries getting involved. But this force will reassure shipping companies and it can provide options and perhaps make Iran think twice about its actions.”
Nick Hopton, former ambassador to Iran, said there was now “a need to make the waterway safe for international traffic” following Tehran and Washington’s agreement.
“The UK and France are well placed to lead this effort given their maritime capabilities and that they were not combatants in the war,” said the senior fellow at the Rusi think tank. “The UK has a long and very close relationship with the Sultanate of Oman and can work closely with them to ensure that whatever arrangements are agreed for the future of the strait, they respect the international laws governing free passage.”
The coalition will likely use Oman's Port of Duqm as its principal logistics hub, taking advantage of the Royal Navy's existing support base and the port's large repair facilities. Forward operations could be staged from Muscat, Sohar or Omani facilities on the Musandam Peninsula.
Middle ground
During a visit to Paris last week, which was followed by a stopover in London, Oman’s Sultan Haitham gave assurances that he remained committed to the law of the sea. It ensures freedom of navigation and the right of transit passage without impediment. States bordering straits are also expected not to hamper transit passage.
There had been apprehension in Paris that Oman was considering charging fees alongside Iran though disagreements rapidly appeared between the two countries over approved routes. Oman and Iran lie across each other, separated by the Strait of Hormuz.
Oman remains under heavy pressure from the international community to try to find a way out of the situation as Iran remains intent on charging fees. A 60-day period of free passage was agreed on June 18 in the Iran-US memorandum of understanding but it remains unclear what will happen next.
Reacting to the joint British-French statement issued Friday, Iranian deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi issued what he described as a “serious warning.”
“Iran, as the responsible power and guarantor of the Strait's security, warns with sensitivity to any military movement in this waterway,” he said, in an apparent reference to the joint French-British naval operation.
Oman is understood to have suggested a middle ground to France but the details of its proposal remains under wraps. It appears to resemble the system set up between Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in the Strait of Malacca. They charge vessels for any navigation and security services that are needed with a fund that collects voluntary contributions for safe navigation.
As of now, neither Iran, Oman, nor any other states has requested a modification to the Traffic Separation Scheme, a maritime traffic management system managed by the International Maritime Organisation.
