Iran Warns UK, France on Warships Near Strait of Hormuz

Iran's deputy foreign minister warned on Sunday that any deployment of British or French warships near the Strait of Hormuz would prompt a decisive and immediate response from Iranian armed forces.

Kazem Gharibabadi made the statement in a post on X, asserting that the strait, through which about one-fifth of the world's oil passes, lies adjacent to Iranian waters and falls under Tehran's sovereignty. "Whether in times of war or peace, only the Islamic Republic of Iran can establish security in this strait and will not allow any country to interfere in such matters," he wrote. He described the warships' presence, or that of any vessels supporting U.S. actions, as an escalation that militarizes the waterway.

The warning followed announcements from Britain and France about positioning naval assets as part of a multinational coalition involving around 40 countries. Britain's Ministry of Defence said the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon would preposition in the region to support shipping security and mine-clearing efforts once hostilities end. "The prepositioning of HMS Dragon is part of prudent planning that will ensure that the U.K. is ready...to secure the strait, when conditions...