Starmer should consider sending warships to Middle East, former UK chief of defence staff sayspublished at 08:50 GMT
08:50 GMT
Image source, PA MediaImage caption,
Former Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen Nick Carter, pictured at a military exercise in Dorset, in 2021
The UK prime minister should be open to sending warships, as well as drones, to the Middle East to support the US in its war with Iran, says the UK’s former Chief of the Defence Staff.
Gen Sir Nick Carter tells BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that it is in Britain’s “national interest” to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, and also important for the global economy.
When asked about Iran’s capabilities, he says Iran’s navy may be weaker than it was but the navy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is “still very much alive and well”.
Gen Carter adds that the IRGC’s weaponry includes shore-based missiles, drones, armed speedboats, unmanned surface vessels and mines. “They have become experts at controlling that particular strait,” he says.
“I think what we would want to see is a really well co-ordinated operation, led by the Americans with many nations involved in it,” Gen Carter also says.
He continues by saying “you can’t do this on your own; its going to require everyone’s capabilities to come together to make this happen and its going to be a really difficult, deliberate operation”.
We’re expecting Prime Minister Starmer to speak about the UK’s approach to the conflict in the Middle East during a news conference at about 10:30 GMT.