US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described a proposed UK-France mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz after the Iran war ends as a 'catch-22'. Speaking before the Senate foreign affairs committee, Rubio questioned the need for naval escorts 'if no one's shooting', but acknowledged they could provide reassurance to shipping.
The plan, led by Britain and France, would see the UK deploy autonomous mine-hunting equipment, anti-drone systems, Typhoon jets, and the destroyer HMS Dragon. Rubio said efforts to reopen the waterway would dominate this month's G7 summit in Evian, France, pending US-Iran talks.
The Strait of Hormuz has been a flashpoint in the four-month conflict. The US military said it launched strikes on an Iranian ground control station on Qeshm Island after Iranian missiles were fired at Kuwait and Bahrain. The US said two missiles fired at Kuwait fell apart, while those targeting Bahrain were shot down.
Iran's control of the strait has shocked global economies, including the UK's, and led to petrol price spikes. The US imposed a blockade, leaving around 1,500 cargo vessels stranded amid a fragile ceasefire. Rubio stressed the US had not offered to ease sanctions in exchange for reopening the strait.
