London sends destroyers to the Middle East
Several attacks on freighters in the Middle East are increasing concerns about disruption to maritime trade. The UK now wants to increase security in the Red Sea with a destroyer - in view of threats from Yemen's Huthi rebels.
Following an increase in attacks on ships in the Middle East, the UK is planning to deploy one of its most modern naval vessels to the region. The destroyer "HMS Diamond" is on its way to reinforce the "HMS Lancaster" in the Gulf region and the Indian Ocean, explained the Ministry of Defense in London. The deployment of the additional ship is intended to maintain "smooth operations" on important sea trade routes.
London is thus responding to "increasing concerns" regarding the security of international maritime trade in important straits, the statement continued. HMS Diamond will carry out patrols in these straits to prevent escalation "by malicious and hostile actors" and to "provide security to merchant vessels".
The move follows the capture of an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Red Sea by the pro-Iranian Huthi militia on November 19 and subsequent similar incidents. Since the beginning of the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas in response to the latter's brutal attack on Israeli territory on 7 October, the Houthis have fired drones and missiles at Israel several times, which were intercepted by Israeli air defences and US warships. Saudi Arabia, which is at war with the Houthi rebels, is also said to have intercepted some missiles.
The increased incidents followed threats by the Houthi militia to attack Israeli ships and ships of Israel's allies sailing in the Red Sea. The Houthi militia sees itself as part of the self-proclaimed "Axis of Resistance" directed against Israel. This also includes other Iranian-backed groups such as Hamas and the Shiite Islamist Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
According to the British Ministry of Defense, around 50 large merchant ships pass through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden off the Yemeni coast, every day. The Strait of Hormuz further north in the Persian Gulf is used by around 115 large merchant ships per day. The Gulf waters are vital routes for commercial shipping, the ministry explained, including for tankers that transport a large proportion of the UK's liquefied natural gas supplies.
In light of the Middle East's escalating attacks on ships, Great Britain aims to beef up security in the Red Sea with the deployment of the destroyer HMS Diamond. The Israeli war and the Houthi rebels' capture of an Israeli-linked cargo ship have raised concerns about the safety of international maritime trade in the region.
Source: www.ntv.de
