British Navy Prepares for Mine Clearance Mission in Strait of Hormuz

Hundreds of British sailors aboard the RFA Lyme Bay, currently anchored off the coast of Gibraltar, are awaiting deployment for a mission that remains uncertain: clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump has criticized allies for not doing more to support America's military efforts in Iran, which has caused a blockade of the strait, disrupting international shipping and sharply increasing energy prices. In March, Trump urged NATO allies to "go secure their own oil" and to protect the strait independently.

At the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, the Royal Navy is preparing to undertake this task, but only once a peace agreement is reached. On Saturday, Trump stated that a deal with Iran had been "largely negotiated" following discussions with Israel and other regional allies, though the final terms still need to be finalized.

British Armed Forces Minister Alok Sharma escorted a small group of journalists to visit the RFA Lyme Bay as it readies for a possible international operation led by the United Kingdom and France to secure the strait. While Sharma spoke, the amphibious landing ship, stationed at the Mediterranean gateway, was being loaded with ammunition and mine-hunting maritime drones equipped with sonar systems.

With a crew numbering several hundred sailors, the RFA Lyme Bay is expected to depart Gibraltar soon to rendezvous with the British destroyer HMS Dragon and allied vessels for air support before sailing through the Suez Canal to the Arabian Gulf.

Responding to a question from the Associated Press about what Trump expects from Britain, Sharma asked, "What other country can bring together 40 nations and find a solution to a complex problem we could not have foreseen because we were not involved in it?"

Following the conflict initiated by the United States and Israel on February 28, Tehran effectively closed the strait, a vital waterway for oil, natural gas, and fertilizer shipments in the region, causing global economic distress. The United Kingdom, in particular, has drawn Trump’s ire, who described the British Navy as "toys" and Prime Minister Keir Starmer as "not Winston Churchill."

Sharma stated that at least 6,000 ships have been prevented from passing through the strait since the conflict began.