By Royal Navy News Nearly 90 British merchant ships and nearly six million tonnes of cargo were safely shepherded through the Strait of Hormuz by the frigate HMS Montrose and the destroyer HMS Duncan during the Royal Navy's first two months responding to threats by Tehran. The Plymouth-based frigate, which completed the first phase of her escort duties late last week, was forced to fire flares on more than a dozen occasions as she warned off the Iranian forces.
Since then tensions have lessened, but on her final patrol before a period of maintenance and changeover of crew in Bahrain, Montrose still found herself spied on by drones and an Iranian patrol craft as she accompanied tankers Hellespont Pride and Moonbeam and the container ship Brighton.
Aside from the Stena Impero incident, Montrose alone was responsible for ensuring 60 British ships β carrying more than five million tonnes of oil, liquid natural gas, cars and other commodities - reached their destinations safely.
Commander King said the deployment was intense but rewarding. The numbers β 38 transits of the strait, 60 British vessels accompanied, over five million tonnes of UK shipping protected β speak for themselves," he said.
So far the only things fired have been warning flares. Doing what was effectively a handbrake turn around the back of a tanker β that was a classy move," he said. That they have done so is down to the quality of our men and women. If Iran sticks to international law and stops it aggressive action, there is no need for warships to be here in force," said Commodore Bassett. The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive. By Charles Digges.
