A nuclear-powered Royal Navy submarine, HMS Anson, has reportedly arrived in the Arabian Sea near the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported citing the Daily Mail. The deployment comes amid heightened tensions, as the United States has warned it may escalate military operations against Iran, increasing Western naval activity in the region.
According to the report, HMS Anson sailed from Perth, Australia on March 6 and has taken up a strategic position in the northern Arabian Sea. The submarine is armed with Tomahawk Block IV land-attack missiles, which have a range of about 1,600 km, and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes, giving it significant strike and anti-ship capability.
The deployment coincides with a policy shift in London. British ministers have approved expanded access for US forces to use certain UK bases, a move CNN says will allow those facilities to support strikes against Iranian missile sites that have been linked to attacks on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Ministers agreed to broaden the scope of permitted US activity to include “defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz,” reversing earlier tighter limits that only allowed action to prevent launches directly threatening UK lives or interests.
Downing Street has said the permission is for a specific, limited defensive purpose and insisted the government’s overall stance remains unchanged. Ministers stressed the UK’s commitment to defend its people and allies while avoiding being drawn into a wider conflict.
The decision has provoked domestic criticism. Conservative Party leader and Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch called the move the “Mother of all U-turns” on social media. Tehran also condemned the development: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi warned that allowing US forces to operate from UK bases would be seen as “participation in aggression.”
CNN reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially rejected a US request on legal grounds but later endorsed a defensive response after British military assets in the Middle East were targeted.
This article is based on syndicated reporting and agency coverage, including Al Jazeera, the Daily Mail and CNN, as distributed via newswire services.
