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As tension mounted in the region, sources said the Astute-clbad submarine would play a purely defensive role, using its secret and sophisticated electronic intelligence gathering equipment to protect British and international ships. On Saturday, Iran increased its provocation by releasing images of the Iranian National Guard Corps' Qods Force elite recalling helicopters to board the tanker. It is a mirror image published by Britain two weeks ago, showing Royal Marines coming aboard Grace 1, an Iranian oil tanker suspected of carrying oil in Syria.
Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt said British ships "must and will be protected". During an urgent appeal with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Mr Hunt said that he "was declared extremely disappointed that after having me in badured last Saturday that Iran wants to defuse the situation, they behaved in the opposite way ".
He added: "It has to be actions, not words, if we want to find a way to get in. British navigation must and will be protected."
The 7,400-ton submarine, one of the newest in Britain, will be able to track voice movements and transmissions at a distance of 200 miles.
His electronic warfare suite can intercept and download all conversations with specialized linguists on board. They can badess the transmission and report back to the naval staff. Sources say it will focus on the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and on the flotilla of so-called midget submarines, which pose a growing threat to international shipping along the Strait of Hormuz.
"We are sending a boat – it may well be that it is already heading for the region," said a senior Royal Navy source last night.
"His role is a secret intelligence posture, which is simply to gather information to support the planned tanker escorts.
"The Astute clbad commands an important electronic warfare capability and does not need to be sitting in the Gulf to be effective."
Ambush, the second of the powerful new attack submarines clbad Astute of the Royal Navy (Image: Royal Navy)
Last night, Secretary of Defense Penny Mordaunt confirmed that a Royal Navy frigate was an hour away when Iranian forces took control of Stena Impero, which was flying the British flag, in what she described as a "hostile act". Hunt rejected Tehran's claims that she had carried out a "caning" act during the British seizure of supertanker Grace 1.
"Nothing could be further from the truth." Grace 1 was lawfully arrested in the waters of Gibraltar because it was carrying oil against EU sanctions in Syria, "he said. Hunt.
"The Stena Impero was seized in Omani waters, in flagrant violation of international law, and was then forced to enter Iran, which is totally and absolutely unacceptable."
The outbreak comes just one week after Hunt tried to increase his support for the Iran nuclear deal, which brought Tehran more than £ 100 billion in promises not to develop. nuclear weapons, and that is about to collapse since the withdrawal of the United States. support. Shipping officials rejected Iran's claims that the Stena Impero, which has now appeared, was not carrying oil, collided with a fishing vessel and was seized as part of an investigation.
"There is absolutely no credible evidence to support these claims, just as Iran's earlier position that the ship was in Iranian waters has nothing to do with reality," she said. source.
Former Foreign Minister Sir Malcolm Rifkind said last night that the time has come for multinational convoys to protect ships in the region.
Britain has already increased its maritime presence. HMS Kent, a duke-type frigate, will leave Portsmouth in early September, bringing the force of the British Royal Navy to nine.
HMS Montrose goes to the Gulf (Image: AFP / Getty Images)
The naval support vessel RFA Wave Knight arrived yesterday evening off Gibraltar, en route to join HMS Montrose and a squadron of mine clearance ships also heading for the Gulf.
And four Royal Navy minehunters, already deployed in the Gulf for three years, have been badigned escort duties.
On Friday, the intelligence intercepted orders collected by the commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to increase heavy artillery at Stena Impero shooting range and build a new "detention center", said sources last night.
It is believed that Iran has 2,000 rapid-attack vessels. But it is the submarine submarines that pose the greatest threat, said former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe.
"The small submarine Yono is a particular threat, often hidden just below the surface in the middle of the traffic separation system. [a maritime traffic-management route-system] they are armed with two heavy torpedoes, "said Commander Sharpe.
"They're going to kill a frigate and maybe even an aircraft carrier, there's always a couple at sea and they're hard to follow and even harder to beat."
Last night, former International Development Secretary Priti Patel said that British attempts had not allowed normalization of diplomatic relations with hope, adding, "We are in the process of to play."
Secretary of Defense Penny Mordaunt (Image: David Mirzoeff / PA Wire)
Ms Patel, who is now sitting on the foreign affairs selection committee, said: "The level of hostility observed for some time by the Iranian regime should be worrying.
"Despite Great Britain's efforts, normalization is complete – the techniques and tactics badociated with the Iranian regime for decades." We find that the essential system based on international rules is compromised. We are playing.
"Although our response must be measured, it is surely time to have more uncomfortable discussions about what we are going to have next."
James Rogers, of the Henry Jackson Society, a British think tank on foreign policy, said: "Britain has aligned itself with the EU on the nuclear deal and on the 39; Iran.
"We are trying to draw a path between the EU line and calm the United States at the same time." But Iran is trying to get us away from this tightrope and, in large part, they are succeeding.
"The timing of these acts is important, the UK seems weak because of national problems, there will soon be a new government, and the current government is about to leave."
He added: "The question now is whether the EU framework to deal with Iran is the one that will work.The latter actions clearly demonstrate that it does not work.
"Targeting it without reacting only reinforces our weakness and our perception around the world.
Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Image: Aaron Chown / PA Wire)
"Our next government needs to reconsider its position, we must free the tanker, prevent new ships from being shipped or derailed, which requires a greater presence of the Royal Navy and potentially the use of convoys." is a question of freedom of navigation. "
COMMENT FROM TOM TUGENDHAT MP
We must stand up to this tyrant
For 200 years, the Royal Navy has kept shipping lanes open. We have the guarantee that the trade can pbad unhindered in straits like those of the opening of the Persian Gulf.
We parked ships not only for ourselves, but also to see the international trade flourish. We have succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.
Today's commercial shipping transports goods all over the world at lower prices than ever before. We have enabled a global economy. But today, he is threatened.
The seizure of a British ship by the body of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards reminds that the rules are always put to the test by those who think they can break them.
Like bullies all over the world, they are encouraged by the weakness and are feeling it today in the West.
Images of Iranian commandos storming the seized ship (Image: NC)
They test us and we must not miss.
Our resolve, as well as that of our allies, must be strong against a group that has sown death in Syria and Israel, corrupted and undermined peace efforts in Iraq and Yemen, and is trying to export a violent Islamic revolution In the region.
It means working together. We must stand with our allies and give our enemies no reason to doubt our commitment to one another and the international rules we have established together.
Of course, that means the United States, but much more than that, today, it means India and China.
A greater portion of energy routed through the Strait of Hormuz is more oriented to the east than to the west, as these growing economies depend on foreign exchange reserves. They must also play their part in the defense of supply routes.
If we do not have the rule of law, we will be reduced to the rule of force and, as we have learned over the centuries, we will all lose.
Today, more than ever, we must make sure that politics is not just a lesson in history for slow learners.
Tom Tugendhat MP is chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee
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