The Royal Navy has been quietly but firmly escorting dozens of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz this week. The operation, dubbed ‘Resolute Guardian,’ follows a leaked US-Iran backchannel oil deal that has sent shockwaves through Whitehall. Sources close to the Ministry of Defence insist the escorts are routine.
They are not. The timing is too precise. The deal, reportedly allowing Iran to sell limited oil in exchange for nuclear concessions, has infuriated Gulf allies and divided the cabinet.
The Prime Minister’s inner circle is split. The Foreign Office is fuming – they were kept in the dark. The escorts are a message to both Tehran and Washington: London can still project power.
But the real test is whether this show of force is a one-off or the start of a more muscular British posture. The backbench is restless. Questions are being tabled.
The game is shifting.
