Al Carns British military officers have been dispatched to the United States to help plan how to reopen the blockaded Strait of Hormuz as the Middle East conflict tightens its grip on global energy supplies. Oil prices surged overnight, with Brent crude jumping about 7 per cent to more than $114 a barrel. The spike followed escalating attacks on energy infrastructure and growing fears that the world’s most critical shipping chokepoint may now be mined. Quiet UK Deployment to America’s War Planning Hub A small team of British planners has arrived at MacDill Air Force Base, home to United States Central Command, which oversees American military operations across the Middle East. Their mission: help draft options for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restoring safe passage for tankers moving through the Gulf. But defence sources warn the task is formidable. Iranian mines, missile batteries and swarming fast attack boats have turned the narrow waterway into one of the most dangerous maritime zones in the world. A Chokepoint Under Direct Threat The energy shock intensified after Israeli strikes reportedly targeted Iran’s vast South Pars gas field. Shipping companies are already diverting vessels or delaying departures as insurers reassess risks. Around a fifth of the world’s oil supply normally transits the strait, making any prolonged closure a direct threat to global markets. Warships May Be Needed — But Few Want the Risk Armed forces minister Al Carns warned reopening the route could demand a massive naval escort effort. During the last crisis in 1987, around 30 warships were required to protect tankers moving through the strait. Today’s threat is far more complex. Iran now fields drones in the air and at sea, ballistic missiles and a wide range of naval mines designed to choke off traffic. Trump Signals US May Step Back Meanwhile, Donald Trump has suggested Washington could leave responsibility for the strait to nations dependent on Gulf energy exports once US strikes against Iran are complete. The remarks have raised alarm among allies already reluctant to push warships into what one defence official described as an “extraordinarily high-threat environment”. Starmer Balances Security and War Risk At Westminster, Keir Starmer insisted Britain would not be drawn into a wider war while still working with partners to protect shipping and regional stability. Defence secretary John Healey has been coordinating with European allies as the crisis intensifies. British forces are already active in the region. The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon (D35) is heading toward the eastern Mediterranean, while RAF and naval crews have flown more than 650 operational hours and shot down over 40 drones since the crisis began. For now, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed — and the pressure on Western militaries to reopen it is rising by the hour. British military experts sent to US to plan reopening of Strait of Hormuz amid growing Iran crisis | The Independent
