RFA Lyme Bay crew on standby for Hormuz mine clearance

Hundreds of British sailors aboard the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship RFA Lyme Bay, docked off the coast of Gibraltar, are on standby for a possible mine-clearing mission to the Strait of Hormuz, though deployment remains uncertain as diplomatic talks continue. The operation, expected to be led by the United Kingdom and France, will only proceed once a peace agreement is reached in the region.

US President Donald Trump has pressed allies to take greater responsibility for securing the strategic waterway. In March, he told NATO partners to “go get your own oil” and secure the strait themselves. Trump has also criticized Britain’s military capability, describing the Royal Navy as “toys” and Prime Minister Keir Starmer as “not Winston Churchill.”

The conflict in the region began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched military action. Iran retaliated by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for the region’s oil, natural gas and fertilizer shipments, causing global economic disruption. British Armed Forces Minister Al Carns said at least 6,000 ships have been blocked from transiting the strait since the conflict began.