Gib refit of RFA Lyme Bay raised in UK Parliament amid Hormuz crisis 

A refit of RFA Lyme Bay in Gibraltar to equip it with cutting-edge drone equipment was raised in the UK Parliament on Monday during an urgent debate on the unfolding crisis in the Middle East. 

MPs in the House of Commons and peers in the House of Lords were debating military planning led by the UK and France to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though no mission will begin until hostilities between the US and Iran end. 

As peers discussed the UK’s response in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway crucial to shipping and the global economy, Lord Coaker, the Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence in the House of Lords, stressed “no decision has been made to deploy [RFA Lyme Bay] yet” to the Middle East. 

But he said the refit was part of plans for a “hybrid navy” and that future mine hunting capabilities will “involve much more the use of drones”. 

“RFA Lyme Bay being made a mothership from which drones can be used to tackle a mine threat is also the way forward with that,” he said. 

“So of course ships are important, but there are many other ways you can tackle mines as well.” 

RFA Lyme Bay was brought to heightened readiness several weeks ago and is currently in a GibDock dry-dock being fitted with the technology. 

Once completed, the ship will be able to store, prepare, deploy and recover a variety of autonomous and crewless technology, from underwater drones to mine hunting boats, acting as a crewed ‘mothership’ for drone technology. 

Separately on Monday, the Prime Minister addressed the Commons after Donald Trump’s blockade of Iranian ports came into effect, with the US president threatening to sink Tehran’s fast attack vessels if they come near American warships. 

Sir Keir Starmer refused to back Mr Trump’s blockade and called for unfettered access to the strait, a vital route for global oil and gas supplies from the Gulf. 

With French President Emmanuel Macron, he said he was working to bring together an international coalition prepared to contribute to an initiative to secure freedom of navigation in the strait. 

The Prime Minister told MPs the summit of world leaders later this week would focus on diplomatic efforts to reach a “negotiated end to the conflict” and the reopening of the strait, which had become a “running sore” to the world. 

The leaders would also carry out military planning “to provide assurance to shipping as soon as a stable environment can be established”. 

“This is about safeguarding shipping and supporting freedom of navigation once the conflict ends,” he said. 

Mr Macron said: “This strictly defensive mission, separate from the warring parties to the conflict, is intended to be deployed as soon as circumstances permit.” 

Oil prices jumped back up to about the 100 US dollars (£74) a barrel mark after US talks with Iran broke down and Mr Trump made his threat to prevent ships leaving from 3pm on Monday. 

Writing on his Truth Social platform, he said if any of Iran’s “fast attack ships” come close to the US blockade “they will be immediately eliminated”. 

Mr Trump, who has repeatedly boasted about sinking the Iranian navy, said the smaller vessels had escaped destruction so far “because we did not consider them much of a threat”. 

In his Commons statement, Sir Keir: 

Said Mr Trump was “wrong” to threaten to wipe out Iran’s civilisation. 

Acknowledged the “significant” economic consequences of the Iran war “will last longer than the conflict itself”. 

Demanded an end to Israeli bombing of Lebanon, saying the attacks were having “devastating humanitarian consequences”. 

Ahead of his Commons appearance, Sir Keir told BBC Radio 5 Live: “We’re not supporting the blockade.” 

He said: “What we’ve been doing over the last few weeks, and this was part of what I was discussing with the Gulf states last week, is bringing countries together to keep the strait open, not shut.” 

Iran has selectively let through some vessels, but Mr Trump’s blockade is intended to stop that, in order to prevent Tehran from benefiting from tolls levied on shipping and the revenues from oil exports. 

Mr Trump said “no-one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas”. 

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the parliamentary speaker who led Iran’s side in the negotiations with the US, said: “If you fight, we will fight.”