The destroyer will join the frigate HMS Montrose, which is currently stationed there. Admiral Tony Radakin, head of the Royal Navy, warned that Iran remains a very real threat to British vessels in the region. His comments come after a British-flagged oil tanker, the Stena Impero, was seized by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in July for allegedly breaking maritime rules.

The vessel was taken in the Strait of Hormuz two weeks after an Iranian tanker was held off Gibraltar with the help of the UK Royal Marines.

Tehran has strongly denied that it took the ship as an act of retaliation.

The Stena-Impero was subsequently allowed to leave Iran at the end of September, from where it headed to Dubai.

In an interview with the BBC, the head of the UK’s navy described Iran’s actions as “aggressive” and “outrageous”.

Although the UK wanted to ‘de-escalate” tensions with Iran, the First Sea Lord insisted that the navy would maintain a heightened presence in the Gulf.

During a visit to the Gulf, Admiral Radakin said: “We have to react to when a nation is as aggressive as Iran was.

“It was an outrageous act that happened on the high seas and that’s why we have responded the way that we have.”

The Admiral also confirmed that the UK would not be joining a French sponsored European naval operation to provide enhanced maritime security in the Gulf.

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Instead, Britain would continue to play its part in the US-led initiative, “Operation Sentinel”.

He argued that the reason for this was due to practical reasons, as well as longstanding military ties.

He made clear that the UK did not support Trump’s policy of exerting maximum pressure on Iran.

This has seen the US unilaterally withdraw from the so-called P5+1 nuclear deal, and re-impose punitive sanctions on the Iranian regime

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The US has also threatened to blacklist any company that breaks its sanctions embargo.

The original deal was signed in 2015 by Barack Obama’s US, the UK, France, China, Russia and Germany.

Under the accord, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

Admiral Radakin is also looking to bolster the Royal Navy’s ability to counter increased Russian hostile activity in the North Atlantic.

The head of Britain’s navy said that Russian underwater activity was at a 30-year high.

This could pose a threat to Britain’s Trident submarines, that must operate undetected.

The First Sea Lord admitted that this was now becoming much more difficult, due to Russian investment in more sophisticated silent submarines of its own.

He argued that the answer to meeting this new challenge, as well as dealing with new threats such as cyber warfare, was to invest in new technologies.

As a result, he urged the new government to carry out a comprehensive defence review as as soon as possible.

He said: “That may mean we have to adjust the shape and size of the armed forces to enable that new investment, or it might mean we need to invest more.”

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