Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs has warned that British and French warships operating in the Strait of Hormuz will face a “decisive and immediate response” from Iranian armed forces, as Tehran pushes back against the planned UK-France maritime security mission in the region, the UK Defence Journal understands.
Ali Gharibabadi, posting on X on 10 May, said the deployment of what he described as “extra-regional destroyers” around the strait under the pretext of protecting shipping amounted to escalation and militarisation of a vital waterway. The post, originally written in Persian, was translated by X’s automated translation system.
Gharibabadi argued that outside powers had no legitimate role in the strait, stating that any such deployment represented “nothing but an escalation of the crisis, the militarisation of a vital waterway, and an attempt to cover up the true root of insecurity in the region.”
He added that “maritime security cannot be ensured through displays of military power; especially not by actors who, through their support, participation, or silence in the face of aggression and siege, are themselves part of the problems.”
The Iranian official went further, setting out Tehran’s position on the underlying causes of regional instability. “The source of insecurity in the region lies in the illegal resort to force, the ongoing threats against coastal states, maritime sieges, and disregard for the United Nations Charter,” he wrote.
On the question of sovereignty, Gharibabadi was unambiguous. “The Strait of Hormuz is not the common property of extra-regional powers; it is a sensitive waterway adjacent to coastal states, and the exercise of sovereignty by the Islamic Republic of Iran over this strait and the determination of its legal arrangements is Iran’s right as a coastal state.”
Responding directly to French statements about the mission’s purpose, Gharibabadi said Tehran would not accept outside involvement regardless of how it was framed. “French officials have stated that their deployed warship is tasked with mine clearance and escorting ships once calm is restored. We remind them that, whether in times of war or peace, only the Islamic Republic of Iran can establish security in this strait and will not allow any country to interfere in such matters.”
The post concluded with a direct warning to all nations considering participation in the mission. “The presence of French and British warships, or those of any other country potentially accompanying the illegal and internationally unlawful actions of the United States in the Strait of Hormuz, will be met with a decisive and immediate response from the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Therefore, they are strongly advised not to complicate the situation further.”
The remarks come after the British government confirmed that HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, would deploy to the Middle East to pre-position ahead of the potential multinational mission to protect international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The mission, jointly championed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, has been described by the MoD as strictly defensive and independent, and is contingent on a cessation of fighting in the region before it proceeds.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints, through which a substantial proportion of global oil and gas exports transit.
Worth pointing out to Iran that the straits of Hormuz traffic management scheme is in Oman waters which his country illegally mined.
Yes, the appeal to regional sovereignty appears to be a [little] weighted in favour of Iran and against the other Gulf states.
What?
“The exercise of sovereignty by the Islamic Republic of Iran over this strait”
“Only the Islamic Republic of Iran can establish security in this strait”
There are other countries on the other side of the strait you know, not to mention all of the other Persian Gulf nations with a very heavy interest in keeping it open.
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Under international law every country in the world has freedom of navigation along that waterway and every other one. We cannot close the English Channel and Iran, the gulf states, the US can’t close this one. There is an obligation to keep them open.
Imagine the fun we could have by closing the Channel, though! It’s not like Germany or the Netherlands could do much about it.
Yes, a very erudite suggestion of using an RFA tanker to educate the world on the perils of tangling with the elite Royal Navy should we decide to close the English Channel and they deign to impinged on our self-declared sovereignty.
”US warship, US warship, this is Dover Straights Command, please say pretty please should you wish to transit the English Channel.”
”Dover Straights Command, this is CBG Nimitz, and you can kiss my hoop.”
You’ll go far, young Grasshopper.
Ha, Trump doesn’t read that Law !
I think He’s already asking for It to be renamed ” The Straight of Trump. ”
Iran to be renamed “Ivana” ?
His first Wife If you didn’t know.
I know it’s a joke, but the scary thing is if he had won his war with Iran, he might well have been asking for stuff to be renamed trump. Not his wife as his ego only allows himself
I thought he said he won it, twice on Wednesday, 3 times on Sunday, plus the 40 odd times so far since the “Epic Blunder” special operation began. 😁😁😁
Czech that.
Ha, you Googled !!!!
Nope, I lived in Cadogan Square, Chelsea and she lived opposite.
Ha, lol.
Local knowledge.
I know that area well, you must be very filthy rich !
Can’t reply to your last comment.
Mum and Dad were caretakers for the Earl Cadogan who lived at 28a Cadogan Square.
Ivana springs to mind because I got out of a MilPol car wearing blues thinking I had better get downstairs smartish and then saw two dwarves opposite dressed as Aladdin and his Arabian knights – the whole rig including scimitars, standing guard in front of her house entrance – just parked up alongside Shafto Mews were two LGWs – one full of champagne and the other full of glasses… when asked if it was fancy dress, they said but only in Arabian dress… otherwise, they would have let me i 🙂
Ha ha. I like that !
My connection Is rather less Interesting, It was more work related and much of my work centred around Chelsea, Fulham and Westminster.
I could tell you more but then I’d have to kill you 😁😁😁😁😁.
TJ,
Unfortunately, the Persian Gulf/Strait of Hormuz will remain an active combat theater for the foreseeable future, until/unless present Iranian government (and IRGC) replaced by a more moderate regime. There may be temporary lulls in conflict, but no durable peace. Strongly advise E-NATO to be guided accordingly, in any convoy/escort mission(s).
It’s like they have no rights at all isn’t it. One presumes Iran would however insist on its rights to traverse the English Channel while claiming those Countries bordering it have no such rights. But that’s the problem isn’t it no consistency in any Country’s approach to international affairs and the US has just driven an aircraft carrier through what consistency there was.
Iran has yet to sink a single US boat let alone ship in this war.
I would love to see these Islamist filth take a shot at one of the best anti-air destroyers in the world
Yes, but the US has MANY ships deployed backed up by AEW, 100 fighter jets airborne, plus Apaches and A-10s on call.
Sending a lone ship against the possible scenario of intense multi-layered swarm attacks, is inviting trouble.
Even if every shot from Dragon destroyed a missile, drones, or attack boats, it would not be long before she was out of ammo.
Numbers matter in wars of attrition.
Iran has the numbers in missiles, drones, and fast boats
You really think the ship is going to be by itself? French or american ships will either be close or give support. Not to mention you think the Iranian drone and missile production haven’t been bombed to hell in all this time? They don’t have endless boats either, the USA has been sinking them since day one, with some being sunk recently by a combination of Apache and Seahawk in the straits
You might be overestimating Iran’s capabilities is all I am saying.
You really think the US navy will come to the RNs help given the contemptuous attitude towards it shown by Trump and Hegseth?
If the IRGC are finished, then why is the shipping in the Straits of Hormuz at a standstill ?
And as much as some of Irans capabilities have been degraded, they have been preparing for this war for decades.
Finishing the job will take months more of intense bombing.
I believe it’s essentially joining the French carrier battle group.
‘You really think the US navy will come to the RNs help given the contemptuous attitude towards it shown by Trump and Hegseth?’
Absolutely.
Can’t tell whether this is ‘absolutely, I think that’s or ‘absolutely, I agree with the point you’re making’.
The USN and the RN, and the French Marine Nationale, will never leave each other twisting in the wind. If operating in close proximity, and one comes under attack, by ASMs, MTBs, etc., the others would engage, the commanders of those men o’ war using their discretion and keeping their honor and that of their vessels & services.
Totally agree. The USN and MN would come to our assistance if push came to shove, just as they know we would come to their aid too. The mutual respect and honor each of the three has for each other surpasses any political crap!
Rather, it is you who is under-estimating Iran. Much in the same way that the US has. Make no mistake, one country wants out of this war more than the other – and it isn’t Iran.
One RN T45 operating in relative isolation is vulnerable to exactly the kind of attrition that Iran has built its doctrine upon. There’s a reason the US interceptor stockpile has been depleted so quickly.
It’s fraught with risk and an irresponsible use of very limited Royal Navy assets/weapons at a time of great strategic uncertainty.
That’s why allies work together. Dragon isn’t going to come under intense attack and all those other warships and fast jets just stand back and watch.
Its British my friend, keep a strong upper lip please. The RN does not approve of some little W**g tin pot lot taking pot shots at their ships. We don’t need more than one ship, just feed us the Ammo.
Remember the Amethyst!
We British won’t kowtow to those funny looking, strange speaking chappies, y’know! Dragon will breathe fire and clear the straights of the true infidels!
The US has kept their ships far away from Iran. That’s why none have been sunk. There was a single crossing by one destroyer that got heavily attacked and the US hasn’t stated what if any damaged occured.
It’s like they have no rights at all isn’t it. One presumes Iran would however insist on its rights to traverse the English Channel while claiming those Countries bordering it have no such rights. But that’s the problem isn’t it no consistency in any Country’s approach to international affairs and the US has just driven an aircraft carrier through what consistency there was.
…… Says Iranian spokesman “Gary the Baddie”.
Don’t worry, we have “Starmer the Harmer”.
Could be worse Boris the bodger, Truss the useless wuss, Fishy Rishi, Theresa May or may not
Indeed, then we used to have Michael Foot and Mouth, Tony B Liar, Jeremy Coalbin, Golden Brown and Rachael from accounts.
Good to see you back posting under that name again. 👌
I was only doing Prime ministers, we would be here all day if we any old member of any old party were in play!
Also check out Osbourne’s qualifications to be Chancellor of the Exchequer …. If only he had even seen a set of accounts we might have fared better!!!!!!!!!
I have never posted under any other name than this one, at least not that I am aware off 🤣
Son of a Baronet, Oxford BA in Modern History and member of the Bullingdon club….ideal qualification combination for success…a real talent…truely one of us.
Yes, he really understood about austerity didn’t he lol
I’ll be the unbiased Judge of this shall I; and say they may all fall short of what is required; but in a Woke World of Prizes for All; Labour unquestionably take First Prize; if you know what i mean? Cant be fairer than that can I?
What a very useful contribution, you know that the opposite of woke is asleep don’t you, so just keep snoozing away there.
My mate had a Mini Woke years ago.
Osbourne had a LandRover Freeloader apparently.
Hilarious!
I cant see the difference between being Woke and Sleep Walking to civilizational disaster, can you?
You are the non woke, therefore asleep one, in this conversation not me, so I’m hardly surprised that you see weird things in your sleepy dreaming state. Try not to snore to much.
I wonder if woke has any worthwhile meaning now if it ever had. It originated as an anti racist term (one might have thought that reasonably positive in nature). Then it was manipulated into meaning anything any right wing individual or set of group thinkers wanted it to mean as a lazy insult to anyone who dared show the remotest compassion or expressed resistance to hate speech, because it was apparently anti ‘free speech’ while in those terms such a notion explicitly sums up a supposedly ‘free speech absolutist’, ‘anti woke’ President and his cronies who can’t remotely stand even a joke against them let alone allow any sense of criticism or disagreement being expressed and thus they prioritise trying to quieten them by any means possible. Perhaps the word is just evolving eh, or maybe we are all just living in 1984 now where it’s simply de rigueur that truth and lies are merely interchangeable alternative truths.
Spot on!!!!
Hamlet. Act 3 Scene 1
Nor do we find him forward to be sounded,
But with a crafty madness keeps aloof
When we would bring him on to some confession
Of his true state.
Starmer is in denial of his true state. As the Americans say, he needs a meeting with Jesus.
Both Himself and this country are…… In one hell of a state !!!
Jesus H Trump ?
The issue is they aren’t. Somehow even with tarrifs and now the Iran war the US inflation has stayed down and their GDP has grown faster than any other developed country.
“Those who do not recognise humour, are devoid of humour”
What’s the weather going to be like tomorrow Steve ?
Now that is true delusion. Even most of his supporters don’t believe that one any more as the cost of living is hitting them hard and their medical support is crumbling. Growth only exists in the messianic belief in the AI ‘revolution’ centred in California that many believe to be a bubble. The wealth is based on the same criteria that Musks is, paper value based on his holding in companies whose worth is dictated by the naivety of those who are fooled by his endless pr tomfoolery promising, products and profits that will never arrive because like Trump he is apparently the Messiah in their misguided but needy views, combined with the value he himself puts on those mostly worthless companies like, X, Tesla and xAI when he sells them to his other company Space X which itself only survives because the US Govt can’t afford for it to fail.
Fact is the Govt owe billions to importers in illegal tariff takings (a tax in itself to replace tax cuts for the rich of course), as a result but even had that not happened, national debt is growing far faster than previously and at an unsustainable rate (remember how his now failed BBB was supposed to reverse this), manufacturing jobs are being lost at a deeply concerning rate, the dollar is losing its World trading hegemony and inflation, while not terrible is higher than before not lower as he claimed he would achieve. If life is so wonderful for Americans perhaps one can explain why Trumps support (even on the economy) is the lowest of any recorded President amongst voters? Meanwhile all these supposed billion dollar investments he boasted of by blackmailing foreign Govts are rapidly turning into hot air. All becoming Smoke and mirrors that even Fox News is beginning to question, that sadly the true depths of the damage will only be truly experienced during the term of the next President.
As of the latest data released on April 10, 2026, the annual inflation rate in the US was 3.3% for the 12 months ending March 2026, marking an acceleration from 2.4% in February. This represents the highest level since May 2024, largely driven by surging energy costs.
And I note since I made that comment that smiley Govt mouth piece Hassett has been doing the rounds on US media trying to account for why US growth is at 2% which is pretty awful for the US compared to what the financial press in the US described once upon a time as the Goldilocks economy under Biden but 3 years ago, you know that period when apparently the US was on its knees and a laughing stock to the World according to the multiple failed businessman Donald Trump. Yes that guy who majorly got into power on the voter’s disgust with yep you got it inflation being so bad, but that was the same or mostly lower than under Trump.
But don’t worry, looking like General Custer leading the charge, Corporal Hassett smiled into the friendly Fox News camera stating in equally deluded tones that the economy is about to take off, inflation will level out, the voters just have to remain patient. It was apparently Democrat led California that was holding back the economy (you know the State that pretty much bankrolls most others and nearly all Republican ones ironically and is behind most of US growth). Perhaps me being cynical, the 5d chess game was that the war was deliberate not only in covering up the Epstein Files, but in making things even worse so that once Trump stopped yet another war he can mark up for the peace prize, the inevitable, if short term bounce back just before mid terms would fool the useful idiots into thinking the figures actually look great, ‘look the great leader has reduced fuel prices hallelujah’. Those pesky Mullahs (no doubt with support from China giving themselves even more cards to play when the doddering old uncle visits begging for relief) don’t seem to be playing his game however, they aren’t as dumb as they look methinks. Meanwhile the US which as we know from Trump is self sufficient in oil are struggling to find enough of it, especially as Canada a big supplier is pissed off enough to want to take full advantage. Happy Days.
P.P.,
“Come to Jesus” meeting. 😁👍
Like Hamlet, Starmer is a man who feels betrayed. He hasn’t realised its a big club. He is searching for a route out of suppressed anger …’to be or not to be, that is the question ‘ that Starmer and the electorate are asking. Neither populism nor socialism are the way. Interesting to observe that his future is now being guided by 3 women; Catherine West who spoke the “inertia” word, Shabana Mamhood cabinet minister counselling him to consider stepping down and Vaping Raynor who chastised him for blocking a competitor. Well. They do say that May is the month of Mary 😂
‘A meeting with Jesus’. Oh the irony, how much more delusional can one be expressing that sentiment, sums up the Americans I guess.
I may have underestimated Starmer. Apparently he has stuck 2 fingers up at the spineless 80 MPs who have said he should go. No intention of falling on his sword. Good for him. He has been on the receiving end of a Reform orchestrated character assassination campaign and is reminding snake in the grass Streeting that he has the ball, if you want it come and get it. Maybe he has met Jesus in secret. 😂
I agree with him.
Simply because what could replace him is probably even worse.
Who in Labour’s Cabinet is an improvement?
Also chopping and changing PMs, it was ridiculous with the Tories, just as much here.
Character assassination by Reform! 😆
He does that himself without help by his actions, or lack of, as PM.
Funny, Labour spent years carrying out mud slinging assassination on every Tory PM, and now within two years they’ve imploded with the boot on the other foot.
Our politicians are obsolete. I’d not trust one to run a medium sized company, let alone a country.
Sad, sad times.
The issue is that no politician or party has the courage and integrity to tell the electorate the truth – that the UK is getting poorer and has been for some time. We have tried various economic strategies – selling off the family silver ( aka privatisation), imnigration, joining the EU, leaving the EU – all to no avail. We need to get real; post empire we are an island of 70million aging population; we are sitting on 300 years of coal and gas we can’t use and unlike the US and many european countries. we cannot feed ourselves. Too many of our people are economically inactive. What we can do is prioritise, work smarter and together and share out the pain fairly. But we will need to cut out coat according to our cloth- as individuals, families and as a nation. Meanwhile all the political parties are selling us their prescriptons, many of which are frankly, snake oil. We are not in open war but we are under assault. Wartime perspectives are appropriate.
“I would say to the House as I said to those who have joined this government: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat”. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering.’
Starmer needs to find an inner Churchill somewhere.
CENTCOM reported today that Iran had gathered 130 small attack craft in the straits.
I take that as the intended threat of swarm tactics, which will be bolstered by Anti-ship missiles, and drones.
As good as Dragon is, we cannot expect a single ship to withstand continuous and intense swarm attacks.
Why would you think Dragon would be on her own against swarm attacks?
Probably because the current state of the surface fleet is that there are no other assets available to work with Dragon. The MCMV fleet is a tenth what it once was, most of which are in dock under refurb, the PoW is elsewhere, an astute would be useless. We have no Frigates available, at best some river class up-armed with GPMG, .50CAL Etc could be deployed but otherwise it would rely on other nations. For this to work the french and British ships need to be operating in their own “battle group” to be able to provide mutual defence and split any attack wave, but ultimately the Iranians only need to get one RHIB packed with explosive through and Dragon will have a 30ft hole on her side.
You haven’t thought this through.
As Jim said – “Why would you think Dragon would be on her own against swarm attacks?”
France-UK joint statement on the Strait of Hormuz –
“The international mission will be strictly defensive and will operate in full accordance with international law and in consultation with relevant states. We are grateful to those nations that have indicated their readiness to contribute in compliance with their constitutional procedures, whether through military assets, logistical support, financial contributions or political solidarity, and call on all countries with an interest in the free flow of global trade to express their support for this initiative.
The UK and France will jointly take forward this initiative, including coordinating military planning with contributing nations. The UK will host the next Leaders meeting in this format.
Following publication, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Denmark, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Somalia, Cyprus, Poland, Belgium, Italy, Canada, Bahrain, North Macedonia, Latvia, Greece, Iceland, Australia, Montenegro and Lithuania confirmed they also joined this joint leaders’ statement./.”
Should this become a reality, this is an EU / ‘eNATO’ mission to demonstrate European resolve, while the Strait of Hormuz Maritime Navigation Initiative has secured pledges from over 50 nations in principle, many of these countries are providing diplomatic or logistical support, approximately a dozen to twenty-two nations have specifically signaled a readiness to contribute physical naval assets for the defensive “ring of steel” to allow mine clearance in safety.
So no need to worry about “the current state of the surface fleet is that there are no other assets available to work with Dragon.” Other assets are on hand by working in a partnership.
🤦♂️
Except the French and US navy’s with a twenty ships but yeah other than that she is completely on her own and the Royal navy is bound to sail a billion pound air warfare destroyer into confined water against mines and swarming boats on her own.
so surely they would have spanked them by now???
Like to see if 4×6 CAMM can be put in all that space on the top of the T45s hangar. Would complement the 4×6 CAMM being placed forward. For 48 CAMM same as on T26s, way better than just 24.
Likewise the surplus T23 Sea Ceptor on the T31 to give maximum capability.
Good call. Will be interesting to see if T31s get a hybrid mix of CAMM x 6 farms and mk41s and or ExLS. The T31s could have had a ready made role for the Gulf – Indo Pacific region. Might need a few more.
Not sure how many MK41 sets beyond the first three T26 have been ordered. T23 surplus would be my best bet on up arming T31 just now.
Nice to get NSM but not happening me thinks.
Would like to see all 30mm upgraded to include LMM though for RFA etc.
Yes. With the LMM. They could try for a navalised version of the Rapid Sentry or a hybrid LMM/decoy Ancilia mount. Might be a UK lower cost alternative to all those sakes of SeaRAM and sit nicely under CAMM.
*sales
Starmer and the french equivalent has made it clear, they are only going to deploy once peace is achieved. At which point swarms are irrelevant
Oh dear, here we go again.
She’s not going there until the war stops, If at all.
But just Ignore that and carry on fighting !
FFS 🤦♂️
Over and over and…🙃
It’s like everyone’s a Halfwit !
Chinese whispers, Opinions, mis conceptions, half baked scenarios…. It’s all here.
Great entertainment though.
Have a great week Geoff.
Slowly and surely we are being dragged into this conflict.
Every battle/conflict where missiles can reach UK interests you are in it even if you don’t do anything. The result of that conflict will affect you anyway. You just choose to not drive the result.
And in 5-10 years time without these battle Iran would have got ICBMs which can be employed as conventional or dirty bombs even if it did not not have a working nuke that can reach London…
“Across the Gulf of Space” ……. “Slowly and surely they drew up their plans against us”
H G Wells.
We should send in HMS thunderchild……..
lol.
A bit rich from Iran? Half of the waterway is Omani waters.
Lines on a map, blood on the streets.
Humans never will learn.
The comments here are mostly an insult to basic intelligence. None of you seem to grasp that War is obsolete. All the courage in the world cannot stop a hypersonic steerable missile, a drone swarm, or a man defending his country unlike Israel and the USA. Britain should keep out of this one. Parliament needs to be asked anyway which is now very unlikely as the charmer starmer thinks he has more power than Parliament.
Finally, the Iranians are more scared of God than either Israel or USA. As we would be if our country was attacked by another country, one twothousand miles away and one five thousand miles away.
We would defend our land too, to the end.
War in this highly technical to quick for humans world is OBSOLETE.
Time to find another way.
Ridiculous, it is Iran that wants to destroy Israel because it exists.
There has been a queue for quite some time with that intention… strange that.
Isreali Deputy Foreign Secretary speaking to the BBC(?) within the last two weeks, spoke about how Jews now felt safer in Israel than they did in the UK…
Simple plan. Ask them to leave the keys and we can rehouse all the bombed out Gazan families! Win Win. What do you think?
Howard Brinton.
“…Parliament needs to be asked anyway which is now very unlikely as the charmer starmer thinks he has more power than Parliament.”
A UK Prime minister does NOT need the permission of Parliment to engage in military conflict.
“The power to commit troops in armed conflict is one of the remaining Royal Prerogatives – that is powers that are derived from the Crown rather than conferred on them by Parliament. There is no codified parliamentary procedure that formally requires the Government to seek approval before taking military action. The Prime Minister and Cabinet retain the constitutional right to decide when and where to authorise action.” (Institute for Government)
Paragraph 5.38 of the UK Cabinet Manual (available online), Chapter 5 under “Military Action” explicitly confirms this ~ “In 2011, the Government acknowledged that a convention had developed in Parliament that before troops were committed the House of Commons should have an opportunity to debate the matter and said that it proposed to observe that convention except when there was an emergency and such action would not be appropriate.”
This wording is intentionally flexible, the word “should” in the above paragraph is doing all the heavy lifting. “Should” vs. “Must” The use of “should” indicates a recommendation or expectation, not a mandatory legal duty. That is followed by the phrase ~ “except when there was an emergency.” ~ This effectively grants the Prime Minister carte blanche to bypass Parliament; should they be demanding a say in matters, whenever they deem immediate action necessary for national security or operational surprise.
The Cabinet Manual itself acknowledges that this is merely a record of a government’s proposed intent to follow a convention, not a transfer of the Prerogative power to Parliament.
The term “convention” in Paragraph 5.38 seems to be on shaky grounds, considering that …
– There have been ‘roughly’ five major instances where a substantive prior vote was sought since 2003.
– There have been at least four major instances where a substantive prior vote was NOT sought since 2003.
This has led many constitutional experts to describe the convention as being ‘in a state of limbo’ or ‘fragile’ as a 5/4 ratio does not seem to support the term “convention”.
If you search Google for –
A report titled “The Role of Parliament in the UK Constitution: Authorising the Use of Military Force”, published on 6 August 2019 by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) HC 1891.
You sure you weren’t a Greek Philosopher In “Another Life” ?
just sayin 😊
It’s important to understand how parliment works. Did you look at “The Role of Parliament in the UK Constitution: Authorising the Use of Military Force”, coz I reckon it’ll knock your socks off.
Nah mate, I was taking a dump.
Either that or out on my bike. It’s great weather for getting out, doing exciting stuff, living the life.
What was It I should read again 🤔
Good post, thank you.
Ta.
Agree with Daniele.
As a courtesy maybe his Harmfulness would Ruminate and after Due Process and considering the International Legality thereoff, allocate Funding and Publish an Actual Funding Plan for the Defence of the Realm Generally and this Adventure in Particular. Just saying, nothing like a little war when faced by political oblivion.
We (Europe) turn up and America shuffles beck home saying it’s our problem to sort out.
“I don’t like It” … D Trump on truth social after receiving a copy of Iran’s response.
Fill your tanks everyone !
Oh and, DRAGON IS NOT GOING IN…. there is no need to argue about who and what and when. It’s not our war, we are not getting Involved.
Chill out.
Trump is the root cause of all this. He never had any intention of finishing what he started. Just a distraction from his other problems. Now the Iranians are emboldened, the deterrent is no longer credible. What would have been a massive escalation a few months ago is now being threatened on a daily basis.
Yup, people ignore the markets reaction to Orange Idiots utterances. Along with the MIC it just means profits for already rich people. Of course Trump is also manipulated but many choose to ignore that fact. And the massive distraction, to me, is his Epstein involvement….what dirt does Mossad have? lol
Some/many would argue that Iran has been at war with the West for decades…
That same argument works both ways.
“There are two sides to every story”.
But at least we got CH1’s !
(“CH1’s” were pretty much an Iranian export designed and Intended for supply to the Sha’s Iran prior to the Revolution) (just Incase you didn’t know)
The Americans got the KIDD class destroyers….or as they nicknamed them, the Ayatollah class!
Ahh, I never knew that, thanks 👌
That would be the Shir 2 Tank,which would morpth into CR1,the Kidd Class Destroyers were passed on to Taiwan where they still serve.
👌
I would say that conflict with Iran was always inevitable.
The main part of their ideology is to destroy Israel, and then any remaining Western influence in the Middle-east
The second part is to spread their “Islamic revolution” as far as they can via proxies, this usual ends in conflict.
Quite cynically, they were fighting purely via their proxies up until 2025 when they moved to direct attacks.
Unpopular opinion, but I think this war has happened 20 years too late.
Iran has perfected Ballistic missile and drone tech whereas, 20 years ago they barely had any.
Donald Trump already destroyed western influence in the middle east 🙂
I would say it was President Bush with his 2003 Iraq war. It polarised the middle-east into Islamist vs Secular.
It played right in Irans hands.
911 was carried out by al Qaeda 15 of the 19 hijackers, including Osama Bin Laden were Saudi citizens.
When looking into these “wars” remember that Sunni and Shia Islam are very different.
Politics aside…I would like to think the ship deployed with the full monty of TWO Wildcat on board (40 Martlet missiles in the air…or at least 20 at any one time) but I bet there’s only one.
AA
You know and I know the ship will not carry a full stock of ammo, and the reasons why. Cost and lack of money. Best do things the MOD way and bluff hoping its never gets used,
They should be able to afford a “ship-load” of Martlets. Might be useful to fire off the the ship itself too to deal with any swarm boats or drones. I assuming the Martlet and LMM are exactly the same missile?
Should be able to afford a lot but can’t, I under stand they the same weapon but sure some will tell me if I am wrong, lucky they have a few GPMGs and some bullets, about sums up the state of the Navy.
Well we all know Starmer and is ideas 🙄 He might do one of is U turns 😴
the sooner we get into this the better, you can’t allow religious extremeists to have nuclear weapons, the straits of hormuz issue makes this a legal war for the europeans
Depends on your religious extremist, I suppose. I think the current Church teaching on the criteria for a ‘just’ rather than ‘legal’ war are:
1.The damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave and certain.
2.All other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective.
3.There must be serious prospects of success.
4.The use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated.
Assessing Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran against these criteria is an interesting exercise.
so its a just war according to church doctrine as well, iran is certainly guilty of years of terrorist attacks
Well, JD Vance obviously thinks so, and has told the Pope where he is going wrong!
Quite right too
Biggest threat to our warships is the Government, scrapping about one every 4 months on the down low. After expensive refits, money well spent. Its easy when its some elses money I guess. Then saying there is no money for defence inspite of the defence spending rise that looks great on paper.
“Ever decreasing circles”.
Ever decreasing navy
its not a lack of money scrapping warships its saltwater oxidisation of their hulls and their is f**k all anyone can do about it.
what can be done in the near term is rapid accusation of USV’s which the navy is doing, 20 purchased already with lots more in the pipeline. We have more major surface combatants under construction than any other navy other than China at present with two newly reactivated yards and massive expansions across four ship building sites and half a dozen secondary sites and none of it will make any difference to decisions taken on the T23’s by the Thatcher government in the 1980’s to use thin steel on the hulls of the T23 and aim for an 18 year design life.
Acquisition perhaps ?
Although “accusation” does sort of fit !
I would rather seem them decommissioned now that have a catastrophic failure at sea…. they were designed to be disposable….17/18 year service life… very thin steel… just enough to guarantee their service life plus a small reserve.. I am not sure, but I don’t even think they were designed to get a mid life upgrade!
I hate to defend Starmer/labour but the issue of the type 23’s failing is to do with the initial decision to specify such a short service life and the complete failure of the Conservative government to timeously order the type 26… add in the reduced order and the glacial build rate contracted and even blind Freddy could see what was going to happen!
I agree not this government’s fault about the Type 23s its thst last government’s for not ordering ships much earlier, just a waste of money on refits
The loss of the T23s is one thing that cannot be aimed at this governments door.
Much else, yes, but not this.
No true its that last government’s delay in ordering new ships then having worn out ships refitted near the end of their service life.
Unfortunately the catastrophic collapse of the frigate fleet was baked in once we got Beyond about 2011. In reality everyone knew what was needed, an ASW frigate fleet of 10 and a GP frigate fleet of 10 it was always going to take 20+ years to build that fleet.
In reality it was not unreasonable to assume they could keep the T23s running to the 25-28 year point.. beyond that was always BS that was going to be throwing good money after bad.. going beyond 30 years was pure fantasy fleet fuckery.
That means the first replacement frigate should have been commissioned in 2017 with 2 frigates a year commissioned for the next decade… so 2027 should have seen 20 new frigates… that would have given the government the opportunity to assess getting back to 30 escorts for 2030 by adding a few more GP frigates onto the order.
Blame brown and blame Cameron.. but you cannot blame anyone else really.
Fair one, the ships were refitted when they were at the end of their service life, that was money wasted but their age and state is not this current government’s fault
Demonstrably, it was money badly spent, but the Tic Toc SecDef couldn’t bring himself to tell the truth and buttressed that tosser Bluffer in misleading the British public; Heappey tried it on the other day with trying to blame the present Govt for the shit-state the RN is in now and the lack of warships. Comedy gold.
Read what I wrote, I did not say lack of money scraps ships, I said wasted money on upgrades to now scrapped ships and bo ship orders for years so we’re left with clapped out ships that cannot longer soldier on.
And yes a lot talk of defence spending increase but its mainly a paper work exercise as more is added to what the defence budget now has to cover. Smoke and mirrors. The still delayed DIP is proof of that.
“Its easy when its some elses money I guess. Then saying there is no money for defence”
If there is new money where is it? Talked about but in 2 years not seen any of it. The DIP will be true test abd even then no government can fix the mess in one sitting
The MoD budget in 24/25 was £60.3 billion and in 25/26 it was £62.2 billion and the current year 26/27 it will be £65.1 billion and in 27/28 it will be £71 billion.
That’s new money already spent in excess of the previous governments spending plans who refused to confirm a rise in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP until 2029.
Labour already did that by 2027 and they did it by cutting the foreign aid budget. That represents the biggest increase in defence spending since the Cold War and takes us back to total real time levels not seen since labour was last in power in 2010.
The DIP has nothing to do with the budget and everything to do with how it will be spent and what it will buy over a ten year period.
The defence budget might go up in numbers but what it covers has gone up, its a paper exercise, and this year alone the MOD has been told to find £2billion in savings, add inflation and its no real rise, as normal with you facts seem not be your thing. Incresing how much the MOD gets yet at the same time increasing what is covered by the defence budget is at best lying and is simple clever accounting.
And in the past 22 months what has this government ordered that was not already pre budgeted, not a lot, no new ships, les aircraft 3 not 5 AWACS, retired 20 Typhons, the entire C130 Fleetretired cvrt, gave away all the AS9, retired the puma helicoptors, the Navys command ship HMS Ocean and 3 Typee 23’s so where are the replacements and the savings from all this retired kit? 1 large order for 23 Helicoptors to be built in 2/3 years time. So come where has all the money gone?.
I get paid over $130 1 to 3 hours working from home with 2 kids at home. I never thought I’d be able to do it but my best friend earns over $27k a month doing this and she convinced me to try. The potential with this is endless.
Heress——-> http://www.giftpay7.vip
Starmer’s position on Iran has been “This is not our war”. However, if we have the guts to exercise our right of passage through Hormuz based on it being international waters that may not be appropriated by Iran, and are we are the attacked by the Iranians, then it IS our war. If we do not do this, then the West is sending a strong message to China and Russia that local “International “waters can now be annexed to their littoral waters. Much trouble lies therein…
It’s not our passage that’s the problem, warships have repeatedly transited the straits with no issue. It’s the commercial vessels with civilian crews that won’t transit the passage.
HMS dragon can go back and forth as many time as she likes and it won’t make a difference.
I beg to differ, Jim. The Iranian statement is clear, they have thrown down the gauntlet. The Hormuz Straights are no longer international waters, they belong to Iran, and they WILL attack warships making passage. If the Western powers allow this to stand, it changes maritime transport rules across the whole globe. It has to be flushed out, and HMS Dragon should be sent in with as much support as can be mustered. That’s what warships are for…
PS: pls excuse the typos in the middle…
I’ll put my money on Drone minesweepers, and Drone arsenal frigates as the way forward on this one. That would give Mozzi Irani something to think about.
I agree, actually something like Beehive with 20 armed drones in a convoy is probably far more effective than a couple of destroyers to escort tankers.
The Mine clearance drones are also far quicker than any manned platform.
Top that off with a series of flying drones providing ISR and air support and we might have something capable of forcing open the straits.
But insurance companies and commercial ships will still refuse the transit. That’s why there is no military option short of a full scale invasion of Iran
We should stay well away from this conflict. We have no hope in achieving what the Americans couldn’t – even if we do take a logical and remotely considered approach.
The threats to Dragon and her crew are credible and significant – they’re certainly no laughing matter.
If the UK wanted to get involved in campaigns like this – then we should have maintained the appropriate navy for the job. These days we lack but half of the required hulls top be meddling in such things. Arguably, given our security picture of late, to risk such vital asset in this way is desperately irresponsible.
Did you read what was said in the article ?
I did – what part of my comment do you take issue with?
All of It.
Read It again, this “Asset” Is being sent to a holding position for possible use after the war has ceased. She Is not going there to fight In a war, she will not be alone, she Is going there to be ready if the war ends.
Your post completely captures the lack of basic digestion of the actual words used which are clear to see |If you actually look.
No need to thank me.
Any need for the tone? Or is arrogance your default setting?
Iran has explicitly stated that even after the current conflict ends, that it will not tolerate foreign interference in the straight. That is to suggest, that that they intend to remain the only players with hard power influence over the straight.
In relation to French (and presumably now British) “assets”:
“We remind them that, whether in times of war or peace, only the Islamic Republic of Iran can establish security in this strait and will not allow any country to interfere in such matters.”
Iran has already demonstrated that it has the capacity to slam the door shut on the straight – even in the face of the USN. Do you consider it true that even post hostilities, a French task force acting in the straight against the will of Iran is not subject to great risk?
I maintain that the RN has no business getting into this mess. Iran is in the process of strategically beating the US – and the world will soon have to accept Iran’s new and all-together more powerful regional position regarding the straight. Another incredible blunder by Trump.
Posture matters, intent matters. My original comment is valid in that it stresses the importance of staying out of conflict – even after the current guise “ends”; whatever that means, if your intent thereafter is to sail a French task force into formerly contested waters against Iran’s will.
Yes, you still didn’t read the Article but It’s fine nobody really cares either way.
To help you, take a look at the second to last paragraph in the Article, then maybe you will see where you went wrong.
I’m well aware of the UK’s position. Let’s hope we don’t have to quickly remind Iran of that, while saturation attacks begin in earnest against the fleet.
The whole thing is rather off. We are determined not to get involved until the fighting is over, at which point we will safeguard shipping with our warships by…. not fighting a little more? Against… not Iran or her proxies?
The very fact that the fleet is there at all demonstrates the possibility of a confrontation.
Regardless of the current public position of the UK govt – the fact remains that we ought not to get involved in any way that might risk confrontation – which was the key take-away of my original comment.
You’re naive if you consider this to be an impossible course of events.
Dragon is going there to lead a multi national force of 50 countries though.
But the force will be largely there to provide reassurance to commercial ship operators. It’s entirely possible that Iran breaks up into a civil war soon and it’s entirely possible that elements of the IRGC engage in piracy. That along with the removal of mines is what the naval force will be there to deal with rather than engaging Iran directly.
Offcourse it’s also possible the USA will engage in piracy as well and it will be much harder for the orange toddler to do that in the face of a multi national force.
Ideally we want China and India involved in this as well.
I love the suggestion that the stratergy is as much to prevent American piracy, as it is to stop the Iran over-spill. That I have a lof of time for!
Quite the fall from grace.