Displaying items by tag: Gulf of Oman

The Royal Navy seized several Iranian anti-tank missiles and components for ballistic missiles in the Gulf of Oman. Britain’s HMS Lancaster gave a night-time high-speed chase, involving a Wildcat helicopter, tracking a speedboat which ignored radio calls demanding it to stop. The Royal Marines onboard searches found suspicious packages, which were screened then brought onto HMS Lancaster. The haul included Iranian versions of Russian 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missiles (known in Iran as Dehlavieh) and medium-range ballistic missile components. The chase started after an American drone spotted the suspect speedboat moving very quickly through international waters under the cover of darkness. Marine Si from 42 Commando at Plymouth was in the team boarding the skiff and recovering the arms haul. He said, ‘We suspected it would be a successful op. and we soon realised the importance of the interdiction as we uncovered more and more weapons - a great day to be a Royal Marine!’

On 16 June the Saudi crown prince said he would ‘deal with’ threats to his people and vital interests following attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman. America blamed Iran for the attack. The UK promised to deploy 100 Royal Marines ‘within weeks’ to ships operating from Bahrain. On 17 June Iran said its stockpile of uranium would soon exceed the agreed 2015 levels, and EU ministers said they were unconvinced that Iran was behind the attack and wanted more evidence and UN investigations. On 18 June the US supplied further images to back up their accusations, and promised 1,000 troops to the region in response to ‘hostile Iranian behaviour.’ On 19 June, forty workers were evacuated from an oil-drilling site in southern Iraq after it came under rocket fire. On 20 June Iran said it was ready for war after US confirmed that an American drone had been shot down in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz. See

Two oil tankers have been attacked off the coast of Iran. They were evacuated, and search and rescue teams from Iran saved 44 sailors. The Front Altair, carrying crude oil, is believed to have been struck by a torpedo, and later sank. The Kokuka Courageous was reportedly targeted by a magnetic mine. The incident comes amid heightened tension following an attack on four vessels near the Emirati coast on 12 May; the US accused Iran of sabotaging the vessels in an attempt to raise oil prices. All the crew were reported safe and only one minor injury reported. Al Alam TV station in Iran reports that ‘successive explosions’ took place 25 miles off the Iranian coast. White House national security adviser John Bolton has pointed the finger of blame at Iran.