{"id":43142,"date":"2019-07-25T22:36:15","date_gmt":"2019-07-25T22:36:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:39:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:39:48","slug":"in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/","title":{"rendered":"In a naval confrontation with Iran, Great Britain can find neither ships nor friends"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2013 It was a knife-twist that originated in Florida, but it was felt across the Atlantic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, appearing <a href=\"https:\/\/video.foxnews.com\/v\/6062573621001\/#sp=show-clips\" target=\"_blank\">Monday on Fox News<\/a> via a live feed from the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Orlando, was asked by anchor Brian Kilmeade what the United States\u2019 role was in helping the United Kingdom get its tanker back, which was seized by Iran in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2019\/07\/21\/middleeast\/audio-recording-british-tanker-seized-iran-intl\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">tit-for-tat raid at sea<\/a> after the U.K. seized an Iranian tanker suspected of smuggling oil to Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The responsibility &#8230; falls to the United Kingdom to take care of their ships,&#8221; Pompeo said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">America\u2019s top diplomat went on to say that the U.S. had a role in policing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/news\/your-military\/2016\/05\/04\/iranian-commander-threatens-to-close-strait-of-hormuz-to-u-s\/\" target=_blank>Strait of Hormuz<\/a>, but that \u201cthe world has a big role in this, too, to keep these sea lanes open,\u201d he continued. \u201cI\u2019m convinced we\u2019ll do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was a loaded answer, and the subtext wasn\u2019t missed in the United Kingdom: The U.K. has the responsibility to protect its own ships, but doesn\u2019t have the Navy it needs to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/22\/uk-europe-led-mission-will-protect-vital-shipping-in-gulf\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19203437081367.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">UK: Europe-led mission will protect vital shipping in Gulf<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Britain&#039;s European allies will play a major role keeping shipping lanes open. One-fifth of all global crude exports passes through the narrow strait between Iran and Oman.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like the U.S. Navy, the Royal Navy has seen a decline in the size of its fleet since the 1980s, only in the case of the Royal Navy, it had fewer ships to lose to start with. The U.S. Navy has struggled to maintain its global commitments with a fleet of 290 ships, and it has seen a 52 percent decrease from its 1987 peak of 594 ships. The U.S. Navy is today <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/smr\/federal-budget\/2018\/02\/13\/us-navy-to-add-46-ships-in-five-years-but-355-ships-is-well-over-the-horizon\/\" target=_blank>pursuing a goal of 355 ships<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But during roughly the same time period the Royal Navy has l<a href=\"https:\/\/www.express.co.uk\/news\/uk\/1156395\/uk-vs-iran-crisis-british-royal-navy-fleet-size-royal-navy-falklands-war\" target=_blank>ost more than 40 percent of its fleet,<\/a> that stood at more than 130 ships. Today\u2019s Royal Navy numbers fewer than 80 ships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both fleets made similar decisions to focus on high-end capabilities to the detriment of good-old fashioned capacity, trusting to allies and partners to help make up shortfalls where necessary. But the U.S. is tied up on other missions, is renewing its focus on fighting big powers like Russia and China, and is hoping against hope to get itself disentangled from Middle East conflicts. So Iran\u2019s seizure of a British tanker, with no Royal Navy assets close enough to stop it, has exposed the shortcomings of a capability over capacity trades that Britain made since the end of the Cold War, experts said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAbout $88 trillion of global [gross domestic product] is being borne by seaborne assets, and they are being protected by fewer than 1,000 gray hulls in the world \u2013 talking about the United States and its allies and partners,\u201d said Jerry Hendrix, a retired Navy captain and analyst with Telemus Group. \u201cAnd those who would align themselves against us \u2013 Iran, Russia, China \u2013 they are choosing to interpret the global international system differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe British pulled back in order to consolidate their resources on the high end. And now they have tankers that are being taken at sea. So you can&#8217;t have it both ways. That&#8217;s why I&#8217;ve been arguing for a balance between war-winning capabilities and peace-preserving capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The draw-down was a deliberate strategy that bet a lot on the U.K.\u2019s relationship with the United States, said Bryan Clark, a retired U.S. Navy submarine officer and analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe UK\u2019s strategy, if you look at their most recent [Strategic Defense and Security Review], they say is that \u2018Our job is to plug into a U.S.-led force in support of some larger operation, whether that is against a great power or against someone like a Libya,\u2019\u201d Clark said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd they\u2019ve designed a Navy and a force that\u2019s like a small version of the U.S. Military, with the idea that they plug that in to the US military. And that led them to pursue those two aircraft carriers, submarines, and if you look on the ground, they\u2019ve got some really high-end units, but they\u2019re really small. They are designed to plug in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The primary focus for the Royal Navy is to build its two new aircraft carriers, along with the escorts necessary to defend it, to augment a US force in a large-scale operation. The U.K. is also building a new ballistic missile sub to contribute to deterrence patrols. That strategy, however, leaves little for holding down presence in places where the U.K. has national security interests, Clark continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt doesn\u2019t leave a lot of money left over for the low-end capabilities you\u2019d need for maritime security patrol, for example,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They\u2019re not designing a global, full-spectrum military. They\u2019re designing a military that can plug in with the US for large-scale operations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That strategy works, however, only if the U.S. is willing to commit forces to help protect British interests. But with the advent of the Trump administration and its \u201cAmerica First\u201d policies that demand a greater share of the burden from allies, the faith that America will always be there may no longer be well founded.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/06\/18\/dont-expect-the-us-to-secure-arabian-gulf-shipping-alone-top-general-says\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"160\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/whirlwind.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Don\u2019t expect the US to secure Arabian Gulf shipping alone, a top general says<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Countries that benefit the most from the movement of oil through the Arabian Gulf need to take a more active role it its security, says a top U.S. general.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>\u2018Too Small\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nobody missed the point when Pompeo told Fox News that the U.K. had to look after its own ships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Immediately when the news broke, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=Special%20Relationship%20Pompeo&#038;src=typed_query\">U.K. national security Twitter became inundated<\/a> with grumpy and sarcastic tweets about the \u201cspecial relationship\u201d between the U.S. and U.K.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But they needn\u2019t have been surprised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In June, the Pentagon\u2019s number two officer, Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, told a group of reporters that the rising threat to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz was not solely the responsibility of the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think there is a military role in defending freedom of navigation,\u201d Selva said. &#8220;The question will be to what extent the international community is behind that effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m not suggesting for a moment that we don\u2019t have a significant role to play in that space. But it will require an international consensus before force is used with one specific caveat: If the Iranians come after U.S. citizens, U.S. assets or U.S. military, we reserve the right to respond with a military action. They need to know that, it needs to be very clear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So far the U.S. offered to <a href=\"https:\/\/news.usni.org\/2019\/07\/24\/esper-u-s-will-provide-intel-to-allies-keep-middle-east-merchant-ships-safe-not-warship-escorts\" target=\"_blank\">provide intelligence<\/a> for an escort mission but has also said it will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/national-security\/new-pentagon-chief-says-us-will-escort-american-flagged-ships-facing-iranian-threats\/2019\/07\/24\/019c37e6-ae28-11e9-b071-94a3f4d59021_story.html?utm_term=.24b67398164a\" target=\"_blank\">only escort U.S. shipping<\/a> through the straits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"983\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19192249186582.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"British navy vessel HMS Montrose escorts another ship during a mission to remove chemical weapons from Syria at sea off coast of Cyprus in February 2014.\" class=\"wp-image-83736\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19192249186582.jpg.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19192249186582.jpg.jpg?resize=300,197 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19192249186582.jpg.jpg?resize=768,503 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19192249186582.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,671 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">British navy vessel HMS Montrose escorts another ship during a mission to remove chemical weapons from Syria at sea off coast of Cyprus in February 2014. (UK Ministry of Defence via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But that the Royal Navy isn\u2019t large enough to hold down such a mission to protect its ships on its own is something even the Ministry of Defense leadership openly acknowledged this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have three of four vessels going through 100 nautical miles of waterway every single day,\u201d said Tobias Ellwood, the MoD\u2019s personnel and veterans\u2019 chief, in an interview Sunday on Skye News. \u201cIt\u2019s not just us, it\u2019s the international community there is well. But it is impossible for us to escort each individual vessel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf we want to continue playing a role on the international stage, given that threats are changing, all happening beneath the threshold of all-out war, then we must invest more in our defense, including in the Royal Navy. Our Royal Navy is too small to manage our interests across the globe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Little Help?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The talking points from US about the UK needing to protect their own ships have been consistent, even as Pompeo and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joe Dunford have tried <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2019-07-25\/european-allies-spurn-u-s-effort-to-protect-ships-from-iran\">with middling to no success<\/a> to piece together a coalition of willing partners to patrol the straits, being dubbed \u201cOperation Sentinel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.K. has had its own issues finding a little help from their friends. A United Kingdom-led effort to organize a European mission to defend shipping in the Gulf has so-far fallen on deaf ears, with both France and Germany demurring when asked to pony up some assets for the mission, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/cceeca60-ae25-11e9-8030-530adfa879c2\">Wednesday report in the Financial Times<\/a>. Both Germany and France have cited concerns about escalating the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So far, both efforts have been a relative debacle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. position to date is in line not just with the Pentagon\u2019s messaging, but with the Trump administration\u2019s America First policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt seems consistent with this idea that we want NATO to take responsibility for its own defense,\u201d said Clark, the CSBA analyst. \u201cIn that view, this is an example of a country with far-flung interests that has failed to invest adequately in their defense. It fits perfectly in with that argument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s consistent also with Mike Pompeo\u2019s effort on Operation Sentinel: It\u2019s a way to pressure other countries like Britain and Japan and even potentially China and India to fork over some capabilities to help defend their shipping.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2019\/04\/03\/nato-chief-faces-alliances-fractures-and-foes-in-address-to-congress\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"204\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19093624543269.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">NATO chief faces alliance\u2019s fractures and foes in address to Congress<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg used an unprecedented address to Congress on Wednesday to acknowledge strains in the pact and to pressure Russia to return to compliance with the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But neither should the emphasis on burden sharing from the Trump administration come as a surprise. For years, U.S. defense secretaries have harped on NATO countries to meet their obligation. In a 2011 speech by then-Defense Secretary Bob Gates in Brussels, he castigated European nations for allowing the U.S. and a select few other nations take on too much of the responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn the past, I\u2019ve worried openly about NATO turning into a two-tiered alliance: Between members who specialize in \u2018soft\u2019 humanitarian, development, peacekeeping, and talking tasks, and those conducting the \u2018hard\u2019 combat missions,\u201d Gates said. \u201cBetween those willing and able to pay the price and bear the burdens of alliance commitments, and those who enjoy the benefits of NATO membership \u2013 be they security guarantees or headquarters billets \u2013 but don\u2019t want to share the risks and the costs. This is no longer a hypothetical worry. We are there today. And it is unacceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPart of this predicament stems from a lack of will, much of it from a lack of resources in an era of austerity. For all but a handful of allies, defense budgets \u2013 in absolute terms, as a share of economic output \u2013 have been chronically starved for adequate funding for a long time, with the shortfalls compounding on themselves each year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/queen_elizabeth.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-83738\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/queen_elizabeth.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/queen_elizabeth.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/queen_elizabeth.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/queen_elizabeth.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An F-35B on the deck of the Royal Navy&#8217;s new aircraft carrier the Queen Elizabeth. The Royal Navy has invested in high-end capabilities but largely eschewed low-end ships useful for the escort mission needed in the Strait of Hormuz. (Photo: Ministry of Defense)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. reluctance to lead the policing effort in the Gulf may not just be about telling other counties to police their own, however. Part of the U.S. reticence to lead an armed coalition may be an effort to deescalate the situation with Iran, said Hans Binnendijk, a transatlantic security expert with The Atlantic Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think Trump is unhappy that [National Security Advisor John] Bolton and others have brought the U.S. this close to war with Iran,\u201d he said. \u201cHe is trying to deescalate as events threaten to escalate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, according to Clark, if the U.S. Navy was in a position to help a British tanker in distress and deter a boarding, it is highly unlikely that the ship would just stand aside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn extremis, I don\u2019t see a U.S. Navy ship commander saying, \u2018Well I didn\u2019t get orders to defend that ship so I\u2019m going to let that guy burn,\u2019\u201d Clark said. \u201cI don\u2019t see that happening. I think this is more about keeping the pressure on the Brits [to invest in their security] than what you\u2019d actually do in an operational scenario.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Where are the Frigates?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of the 55 ships the Royal Navy has shed from its force structure in the decades since the Falklands War in the early 1980s, half of those are frigates \u2013 generally ships that perform low-end missions such as security cooperation with smaller nations, presence and maritime security, which includes escorting tankers. This saves larger, more capable ships for high-end missions such as air defense of high-value units such as an aircraft carrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But what constitutes a frigate today is much different from what was considered a frigate in the 1980s. For example, the Type 21 frigate, which ran about \u00a328 million in 1978 \u2013 a cost of about \u00a3165 today, or $205 million today \u2013 would barely scratch the surface of paying for ships that are considered frigates today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"713\" height=\"401\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1434573953000.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-83740\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1434573953000.jpg.jpg 713w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1434573953000.jpg.jpg?resize=300,169 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 713px) 100vw, 713px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Image showing the Type 26 frigate design by BAE. (BAE)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, the U.S. littoral combat ship, famously considered under-armed and ill-equipped for modern naval combat, costs about $360 million. And the ships competing for the U.S. frigate program, the FFG(X), includes several European frigate designs and all are struggling to meet the Navy\u2019s goal of just under $1 billion per hull.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s a global trend that makes mass-producing \u201cfrigates\u201d to perform maritime security operations and other low-end missions more costly than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cToday, European nations are producing \u2018frigates\u2019 that just recently you or I would call \u2018destroyers,\u2019 based on size and, somewhat, on capability,\u201d said Steve Wills, an analyst and retired naval officer with CNA. \u201cThose ships want to joint up with a coalition, be part of coalitions with U.S. forces \u2013 they\u2019re bigger, longer-range ships. The Type 23 that they\u2019re employing right now are perfect for that kind of mission. So, they\u2019ve gone in that direction, but they have much less.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the need for a less expensive frigate is one that the U.K. has recognized and is already moving out on, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/naval\/2019\/05\/22\/is-britain-buying-a-warship-depends-who-you-ask\/\" target=\"_blank\">not without some controversy<\/a>. The Royal Navy is pursuing a budget frigate, the Type 31e, and recently awarded design contracts to BAE, Atlas Elektronik and Babcock. The program aims to get five new frigates for \u00a31.25 billion, a low number that the Royal Navy hopes will be able to boost its fleet numbers while keeping the costs under control.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2018\/12\/10\/here-are-the-royal-navys-top-3-contenders-for-their-new-budget-frigate\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"133\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/RS74326_CM097917_type31_mission_front_v3_0001_LR-lpr.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Here are the top 3 contenders for the British Royal Navy\u2019s new budget frigate<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The U.K. plans to initially build five of the frigates, with a top-line budget of \u00a31.25 billion for the whole program.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Operating Forward<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Neither is the fact that the UK needs more presence in the Gulf a new realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The country last year commissioned its first Middle East forward base in half a century, HMS Jufair, and this Spring the frigate Montrose arrived in the region for a three-year forward deployment with rotating crews to keep it underway as much as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The forward deployment model is one the U.S. uses in Rota, Spain, for ballistic missile defense in Europe, and in Japan for BMD and presence in that region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The math is simple: For standing presence requirements overseas, you generally need four ships based in the home country. For every ship you have deployed downrange, you\u2019ll want one in surge status if its needed for an emergency, one in deep maintenance and one training to relieve the ship on deployment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Forward deploying a ship, especially using a rotating crew model, cuts down on the number of ships you need to maintain in your force structure to fulfill a presence requirement because you cut out transit times to the region and you cut out much of the training cycle time. In short, you get more bang for your buck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Montrose, as of Wednesday evening, began escorting the U.K. shipping through the strait<a href=\"https:\/\/news.sky.com\/story\/uk-warship-to-escort-british-ships-through-strait-of-hormuz-11770181\">, according to a Skye New report<\/a>. Montrose is scheduled to be joined by the Type 45 destroyer Duncan late this month, former British foreign secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/britain-says-it-is-planning-european-led-protection-force-in-gulf\/\">Jeremy Hunt said Monday<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But staging any kind of larger effort will require time to free up assets, and even with two vessels on station, at least temporarily, it will not be enough to hold down an escort mission for any real length of time, given the need for maintenance and crew rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And while the U.S. will more than likely, despite the rhetoric, pitch in, its surface assets are also under a great deal of pressure both from high-end missions such as defending the aircraft carriers to very restrictive ballistic missile defense missions that require the ships to be in a narrow geographic area in order to get correct geometries for shooting down missiles based on known launch sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The BMD mission was one of the primary drivers that led to a severe drop in readiness in the Japan-based 7th Fleet head of the disastrous summer of 2017, when twin collisions killed 17 sailors aboard the destroyers Fitzgerald and McCain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the roots of even those issues could reasonably trace back in part to the U.S. Navy\u2019s own decision earlier in the decade to trade capacity for capability by decommissioning early the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates, which were holding down many of the Navy\u2019s low-end missions around the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The solution is not a short-term fix but a long-term one, said Hendrix, the Telemus analyst. Until the U.K. and the U.S. grown their fleet with more low-end capabilities, countries such as Iran will continue to take advantage of the vulnerability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Iranians have just demonstrated that they\u2019ve figured it out and there is no quick-fix solution,\u201d Hendrix said. \u201cWe\u2019ve allowed ourselves to get into this hole and it will take years to come out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2017\/11\/13\/dont-reactivate-the-old-frigate-internal-us-navy-memo-recommends\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Roberts.JPG.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Don&#8217;t reactivate the old frigates, internal US Navy memo recommends<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Navy estimates that bringing back 10 of the Perry-class frigates would cost in excess of $4.32 billion over 10 years.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the United Kingdom faces an Iranian threat to its shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States and its other NATO allies have been reluctant to get involved, leaving a diminished and overstretched Royal Navy to its own devices.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":32886,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-post-featured-layout","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":16,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[160,16,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3361],"class_list":["post-43142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-naval","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"IYX7I72L7ZCSBBAEAWX322VT5U","arc_canonical_url":"\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"featured-layout","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>In a naval confrontation with Iran, Great Britain can find neither ships nor friends - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As the United Kingdom faces an Iranian threat to its shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States and its other NATO allies have been reluctant to get involved, leaving a diminished and overstretched Royal Navy to its own devices.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In a naval confrontation with Iran, Great Britain can find neither ships nor friends\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As the United Kingdom faces an Iranian threat to its shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States and its other NATO allies have been reluctant to get involved, leaving a diminished and overstretched Royal Navy to its own devices.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-07-25T22:36:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T23:39:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"David B. Larter\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"David B. Larter\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/25\\\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/25\\\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"In a naval confrontation with Iran, Great Britain can find neither ships nor friends\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2019-07-25T22:36:15+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T23:39:48+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/25\\\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 2864,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/25\\\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/5032720.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Naval\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/25\\\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/25\\\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/25\\\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"In a naval confrontation with Iran, Great Britain can find neither ships nor friends - Defense News\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/25\\\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/25\\\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/5032720.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2019-07-25T22:36:15+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T23:39:48+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"As the United Kingdom faces an Iranian threat to its shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States and its other NATO allies have been reluctant to get involved, leaving a diminished and overstretched Royal Navy to its own devices.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/25\\\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/25\\\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/25\\\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/5032720.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/5032720.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/25\\\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Naval\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"naval\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"In a naval confrontation with Iran, Great Britain can find neither ships nor friends\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Defense News\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Covering the politics, business and technology of defense | Defense News\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Defense News\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/defensenews-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/defensenews-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Defense News\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"In a naval confrontation with Iran, Great Britain can find neither ships nor friends - Defense News","description":"As the United Kingdom faces an Iranian threat to its shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States and its other NATO allies have been reluctant to get involved, leaving a diminished and overstretched Royal Navy to its own devices.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"In a naval confrontation with Iran, Great Britain can find neither ships nor friends","og_description":"As the United Kingdom faces an Iranian threat to its shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States and its other NATO allies have been reluctant to get involved, leaving a diminished and overstretched Royal Navy to its own devices.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/","og_site_name":"Defense News","article_published_time":"2019-07-25T22:36:15+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-07T23:39:48+00:00","author":"David B. Larter","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"David B. Larter","Est. reading time":"14 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"In a naval confrontation with Iran, Great Britain can find neither ships nor friends","datePublished":"2019-07-25T22:36:15+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-07T23:39:48+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/"},"wordCount":2864,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5032720.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Naval","Newsletters"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/","name":"In a naval confrontation with Iran, Great Britain can find neither ships nor friends - Defense News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5032720.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2019-07-25T22:36:15+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-07T23:39:48+00:00","description":"As the United Kingdom faces an Iranian threat to its shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States and its other NATO allies have been reluctant to get involved, leaving a diminished and overstretched Royal Navy to its own devices.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5032720.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5032720.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2019\/07\/25\/in-a-naval-confrontation-with-iran-great-britain-can-find-neither-ships-nor-friends\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Naval","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/","ad_zone":"naval"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"In a naval confrontation with Iran, Great Britain can find neither ships nor friends"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","name":"Defense News","description":"Covering the politics, business and technology of defense | Defense News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization","name":"Defense News","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/defensenews-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/defensenews-logo-white.png","caption":"Defense News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Defense News","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5032720.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43142"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43142\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43160,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43142\/revisions\/43160"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43142"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=43142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}