Royal Navy sea drones and Type 45 destroyer 'to escort' tankers through Hormuz Strait

British Royal Navy is taking the lead in forming a multinational naval alliance to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed by attacking more than a dozen commercial ships.

Defence sources confirm Britain is positioning itself at the helm of a multi-national maritime mission to restore safe passage for oil tankers through the critical waterway once the war de-escalates. Plans may include hosting a Strait of Hormuz summit in London attended by Gulf states, European nations and the United States.

The UK could deploy anti-mine maritime and underwater drones together with the United States and France to clear threats and safeguard the waterway.

This hybrid drone strategy minimizes risk to manned vessels while breaking Iran’s blockade of the chokepoint responsible for one-fifth of global oil and LNG flows. Royal Navy sea drones would likely operate alongside Type 45 destroyers to counter Iranian mines, drones and fast attack boats, drawing on lessons from Ukraine operations.

The closure has triggered the largest oil supply shock in decades, sending global fuel prices sharply higher.

While Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused immediate warship commitments to President Trump’s original maritime operation, the UK is now actively working with allies on intelligence sharing and escort missions.