The move is part of efforts to show Washington that the U.K. — which has angered U.S. President Donald Trump by staying out of offensive missions during the U.S.-Israel war with Iran — is prepared to make a serious contribution to policing the key passage through the Persian Gulf.
Britain and France have jointly convened a series of meetings aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation in the trade artery and alleviating some of the economic pressure which has been caused by its closure at the beginning of March.
However, participating countries are split on what role the U.S. should play in their initiative, while the White House has insisted it does not need any assistance from Europe. Trump previously dismissed British naval assets as “toys.”
The fate of the shipping lane remains highly uncertain after the U.S. president announcement Tuesday that he was indefinitely extending the ceasefire, which was set to expire Wednesday.
He has specified a U.S. blockade over the strait will remain. Iran signaled it will not send a negotiating team to continue talks with the U.S. in Pakistan until the blockade is lifted, and has since seized two foreign ships traveling through Strait of Hormuz.
The U.K. is stressing that the deployment of any assets would require a “sustained” ceasefire in place, while the administration seeks to show it. Britain said last month it was considering whether to send a Royal Navy ship or a commercial vessel carrying autonomous mine-hunting systems to the Gulf, but is now stepping up those plans.