Britain Prepares RAF Typhoon Patrols and Mine-Clearance Options for Strait of Hormuz Mission

Britain is preparing to deploy RAF Typhoon jets, mine-hunting drones, and specialist divers as part of a multinational mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz following the Iran war, The Guardian reported on Thursday. The UK and France are jointly leading planning for a strictly defensive operation involving military planners from more than 30 countries, who held a two-day conference at Northwood beginning April 22, according to the UK government. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said Britain will not support a blockade of the strait and will not be drawn into the conflict.

The Details

British military planners have placed a squadron of eight RAF Typhoon jets, currently based in Qatar, among the options being considered for patrol duties over the Strait of Hormuz after hostilities cease, The Guardian reported. The same jets were used during the recent Middle East war to intercept Shahed drones in defense of allied Gulf states, according to The Guardian.

In addition to air patrols, British planners have offered mine-hunting drones and specialist divers to conduct mine-clearance operations in the waterway, The Guardian reported. No decision had been made on whether HMS Dragon or another Royal Navy warship would also be deployed as part of the force package, according to The Guardian.

Military planners from more than 30 countries convened in London to advance the mission plan and develop detailed proposals for reopening the strait, Reuters reported. More than a dozen of those countries had indicated willingness to join an operational mission led by Britain and France when conditions allow, Reuters said.

Defence Secretary John Healey told the assembled planners that the mission's immediate purpose was to convert diplomatic agreement into actionable military coordination. "The task, today and tomorrow, is to translate the diplomatic consensus into a joint plan to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Strait and support a lasting ceasefire," Healey said in a statement released by the UK government.

The UK government described the planned operation as an independent, strictly defensive multinational mission with three stated objectives: protecting merchant vessels, reassuring commercial shipping operators, and conducting mine-clearance operations in the waterway.

Context

Prime Minister Starmer set out Britain's position on April 13, saying the country would not endorse a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and would not allow itself to be pulled into the Iran war, Reuters reported. Starmer described the planned UK-France mission as "strictly peaceful and defensive, as a mission to reassure commercial shipping and support mine clearance," according to the BBC.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global energy markets. The UK government said approximately a fifth of the world's oil transits the waterway, and that disruption there has already pushed up energy prices and disrupted supply chains. The BBC reported that Tehran had promised to keep the strait open to commercial vessels until the middle of the following week under the terms of a temporary ceasefire, though longer-term access remained uncertain.

France's Emmanuel Macron has co-led the diplomatic effort alongside Britain, with French counterpart Catherine Vautrin named alongside Healey in joint statements coordinating the planning effort, according to The Guardian.

What's Next

The two-day London planning conference that began April 22 was designed to produce a detailed joint military plan, according to the UK government. The force package — including whether a Royal Navy warship will join RAF assets and mine-clearance teams — had not been finalized in the sourced reporting as of April 23, The Guardian reported.

More than a dozen countries have indicated willingness to contribute assets to the mission, Reuters reported, though a deployment timeline depends on conditions in the strait following any durable ceasefire.