UK to ‘send additional troops to the Kingdom’

The UK will send additional troops to the Kingdom in response to the escalation of Iran tensions, it has emerged. Prominent British media outlets have reported that Premier Boris Johnson ordered additional military personnel to Bahrain on Sunday. Britain will send a small number of additional military personnel to Bahrain this week to help boost maritime protection for ships, Sky News has learnt.

“The handful of extra forces will be part of the UK Maritime Component Command. “The move comes after the arrival of a second major British warship in the Gulf as the crisis over Iran’s seizure of a UKflagged tanker stretches well into its second week,” Sky News reported.   Ensuring the safe passage of British ships through Strait of Hormuz is the intention behind the arrival of the Royal Navy’s HMS Duncan to the Gulf region, it is learnt.

“Freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is vital not just to the UK, but also to our international partners and allies,” British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had said. “Merchant ships must be free to travel lawfully and trade safely, anywhere in the world. I’m pleased that HMS Duncan will continue HMS Montrose’s fine work in helping to secure this essential route.” “While we continue to push for a diplomatic resolution that will make this possible again without military accompaniment, the Royal Navy will continue to provide a safeguard for UK vessels until this is the reality.”

Earlier this month, British vessel Stena Impero was seized by Iranian forces.  Britain was targeted by Iran after it helped the seizure of an Iranian super tanker. The Iranian tanker was allegedly carrying oil to Syria breaching EU sanctions. Stena Bulk, which owns the captured British-flagged tanker, the vessel’s crew are in good health. “Stena Bulk and Northern Marine Management continue to work closely with the authorities to secure the release of the Stena Impero and its 23 crew members,” the company said in a statement.  

“Feedback from the officials is that the crew are in good health and they appreciated the interaction with their government representatives,” Stena Bulk stated. “The crew members continue to have limited contact with family members, who we continue to support during this difficult time.” Meanwhile, most Bahrain residents say that a US-Iran war would be “significantly damaging” to Bahrain, according to a survey.

Forty-four per cent of the 605 respondents who took part in the survey believe that a war between the two countries could be damaging to Bahrain. The survey was conducted by the Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat). The war, according to 22pc of the respondents, will have only a small impact on the Kingdom. Fourteen per cent said it wouldn’t affect Bahrain at all. The survey also asked respondents on the escalation sparking a war in the Middle East. Eighty-one pc of respondents believes that a war between the countries is highly unlikely.

Only 17pc said that war is possible. The remaining declined to comment. Meanwhile, another report stated that any blockades in the Strait of Hormuz would adversely affect Bahrain’s credit-rating. The report by S and P stated that Bahrain credit ratings would most likely be affected in the event of an escalation of US-Iran tensions caused by blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s main oil shipping arteries. “Bahrain appears to be the most vulnerable Gulf sovereign to any blockages in the Strait of Hormuz,” S and P said in the new report.