Frigate HMS Argyll joined an American carrier battle group
passing through the Strait of Hormuz to assert the right of freedom of
the seas.
The Devonport-based warship, half way through a six-month east of
Suez deployment, sailed with a French warship and four US warships, led
by the 100,000-ton carrier USS Abraham Lincoln
Between one fifth and one third of the world’s oil passes through
the strait – just 34 miles wide at the narrowest point – in tankers.
The Lincoln enters the Gulf, replacing the USS John C Stennis, amid tensions in the region – in particular over the Strait.
Argyll has been in the Gulf since the autumn as part of the Royal
Navy’s constant presence in the region since the 1980s, upholding the
UK’s “enduring contribution to Gulf security,” an MoD spokesman said.
“HMS Argyll and a French vessel joined a US carrier group
transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, to underline the unwavering
international commitment to maintaining rights of passage under
international law.”
Earlier this month Defence Secretary Philip Hammond reiterated
the Royal Navy’s long-standing commitment to keep the narrows open – and
that any attempt by Iran to close them “would be illegal – and would be
unsuccessful”.
* Notícia publicada al web de la Royal Navy. Considerem important publicar-la per seguir l'evolució dels esdeveniments al Pèrsic.
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