Britain is about to send a fleet of robotic minesweepers to the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing blockade of Iran.
Britain is now set to lead a coalition of nearly 30 nations to help destroy waters off the Iranian coast, after Donald Trump urged Western allies to deploy warships to the Middle East to secure shipping routes.
U.S. officials said at least a dozen deadly Maham 3 and Maham 7 limpet mines had been laid along the 24-mile-wide route.
Any ship that dares to cross the strait – responsible for transportation One-fifth of the world’s oil supply – could trigger an explosive and be blown to pieces.
The operation will clear a safe path for oil tankers without putting the divers’ lives at risk – but officials say it can only begin when the “major fighting” stops.
One officer said, “While we are in the phase of major combat operations, it would be very difficult to contemplate crossing the strait.”
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The Royal Navy has three autonomous mine clearing systems, known as SWEEP, which simulate large ships to detonate mines.
The Army is also considering deploying drone boats with air defense weapons to escort merchant ships iranMartyred kamikaze attack drone.
A defense official said, “We have seen this in Ukraine. Uncrewed surface ships with the right sensors and counter-UAS systems on board can perform escort to some extent.”
Despite the dangers posed by Iranian mines, Indian, Pakistani and Chinese ships are able to transit the strait without triggering them or being attacked by kamikaze drones.
The UK believes there is a slightly longer – but safer – route for ships.
“It hasn’t been fully mined,” one insider said. “There’s a clear path that you can start building.”
Earlier today, Iran also told International Maritime Organization member states that “non-hostile ships” can transit if they coordinate with them, the Financial Times reported.
In a letter circulated today among IMO members, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it had taken “necessary and proportionate measures to prevent the aggressors and their supporters from exploiting the strait.”
Iran said in the letter that ships belonging to the US and Israel, as well as “other participants in the aggression, are not eligible for innocent or non-hostile passage,” the FT said.
Reports about Britain-led demolition plans come as the US President said the US is in talks with Iran to end the war – boosting hopes for an end to the international energy turmoil. Wealth market.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he proudly announced that “the war has been won” and that Iran “has agreed never to possess a nuclear weapon.”
He said: “They did something yesterday that was really wonderful. They gave us a gift, and that gift arrived today.”
“It was a very big gift that cost a lot, and I’m not going to tell you what that gift is, but it was a very important award.
“To me it means one thing – we’re working with the right people.”
What is sweep?
Sweep is the Royal Navy’s first autonomous, unmanned minesweeping system which was acquired just months before the war in Iran.
The state-of-the-art technology is designed to hunt and disarm modern sea mines by simulating ship signatures.
It uses an uncrewed surface vessel to tow sensors, protecting sailors by keeping them away from danger areas.
Commander Dan Herridge, Commanding Officer of the Royal Navy’s Mine and Threat Exploitation Group, said, “The return of the capability to remotely counter sophisticated mines, which are more difficult to detect by sonar, is a significant milestone for the Royal Navy’s mine countermeasures capability.”
“Being able to do this from a distance without harming people is a key principle of the mine hunting capability program.”
Trump kept mum on the “significant” gift, but revealed it was “oil and gas related” – seemingly hinting at the blockage of the strait.
He also stressed that Iranian officials “want to make a deal so badly, you have no idea how badly they want to make a deal” as the war entered its fourth week.
Pakistan offered to host diplomatic talks, but Iran remained defiant and vowed to fight “until complete victory”.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on Twitter that his country was ready to “facilitate meaningful and decisive talks” to end the war.
The US is understood to have agreed “in principle” to join talks in Pakistan, while mediators were still working to convince Iran.
A diplomat in the region said talks could take place this week or earlier next week, and that special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to represent the US.
But one of Iran’s top military chiefs rejected claims that face-to-face peace talks could begin in Islamabad this weekend.
Major General Ali Abdullahi Aliabadi said: “Iran’s powerful armed forces are proud, victorious and determined to defend the integrity of Iran, and this path will continue until complete victory.”
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf also described these reports as “fake”. newsWhich is being used to “manipulate the financial markets and the oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are stuck.”
Behind the scenes, mediators, including Egypt, turkey And Pakistan is struggling to keep the talks alive.
This comes after Trump extended his 48-hour ultimatum – which was due to expire at around midnight last night UK time – by five days, claiming his top aides had held “very good and productive” talks.
his new deadline The process of reopening the strait will conclude on Saturday – when marines will be ready to storm key sites such as Kharg Island – Iran’s main oil export hub.
Saudi Arabia revealed yesterday that it has agreed to give the US access to its King Fahd Air Base, as it moves closer to increasing its offensive role.
Despite the ceasefire on energy sites, US and Israeli forces have continued to bomb Iranian military sites.
“The moratorium on attacks for five days is only on their energy sites,” a US official told Semaphore.
“This is not based on military sites and the Navy, and ballistic missiles and the defense industrial base. The initial initiative of (Operation) Epic Fury will continue,” he said.
Trump is also set to deploy thousands of specialized troops to the Middle East.
Part of the growing military presence, the troops are set to be drawn from the 82nd Airborne Division, nicknamed “The All American.”
In response, Iran has threatened to conduct further mining in the Persian Gulf if the US is on the verge of landing its troops.
This would complicate amphibious assaults and also jeopardize all shipping in the area.
