Britain is considering sending ships and mine-hunting drones to the Middle East to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has said. Speaking on Sunday, Miliband confirmed that ministers are in talks with allies about how the UK could contribute to securing the vital waterway, through which about 20% of the world's oil supply passes.
The effective closure of the strait earlier in the conflict has sent oil prices soaring from approximately $65 a barrel to around $100 (£75), raising alarm among Western governments. Miliband told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg: 'It is very important that we get the Strait of Hormuz reopened. We have already been talking with our allies, including the US, about this.' He added that 'any options' were being considered, including the use of mine-hunting drones.
Miliband's comments followed a social media post by US President Donald Trump, who urged the UK, China, France, Japan, South Korea, and others to send naval vessels to the region. Trump wrote on Truth Social: 'One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!' The call came a week after Trump had told CBS News that it was 'a little bit late' for Britain to send ships.
Britain is reportedly considering deploying mine-hunter drones, which trick mines into detonating safely by mimicking the signature of passing ships. However, the government has faced criticism for not dispatching ships more quickly. HMS Dragon departed for Cyprus on Tuesday to bolster the RAF base at Akrotiri, but the Royal Navy no longer has mine-hunting vessels in the region after the last one was towed from Bahrain days before the conflict began.
Ministers are also weighing the domestic impact of higher energy prices, which threaten the UK's economic recovery. When asked whether the government would cancel a planned rise in fuel duty in September, Miliband said ministers would 'stand by the British people in this crisis' and do 'what it takes'. Officials have confirmed that no final decision has been made on the fuel duty increase.
