The United Kingdom defended the actions of the Trump administration in Iran, saying the United States is “entitled to defend itself” against Iranian aggression and deploying the Royal Navy to the Persian Gulf to protect shipping vessels flying the British flag.
The Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, expressed support for America’s decision to take out Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani, citing the violence committed in Iraq by Iran-backed militias.
“During the last few months U.S. forces in Iraq, who are based in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government, have been repeatedly attacked by Iranian-backed militia”, Wallace said, in comments reported by The Telegraph.
“General Soleimani has been at the heart of the use of proxies to undermine neighbouring sovereign nations and target Iran’s enemies. Under international law the United States is entitled to defend itself against those posing an imminent threat to their citizens”, the Defence Secretary concluded.
In response to escalating tensions after the death of Soleimani, the United Kingdom has deployed the Royal Navy to the Strait of Hormuz, to protect British shipping vessels in the Persian Gulf from retaliatory strikes from Iran.
Royal Navy warships have not patrolled the strait since November, when the navy had been protecting British ships after Iran seized a British-flagged oil tanker, the Stena Impero, in July of last year. The ship was finally released by Iran in September. – READ MORE