Iran plays naval cat-and-mouse game in the Gulf

Western military protection for its tankers is expanding, but unconventional tactics remain a threat

The arrival of a second British warship in the Gulf on 28 July means London has the resources to escort UK-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. But this support will be small comfort to tanker captains, or the industry that depends on them. State-of-the-art destroyer HMS Duncan and the already Gulf-based frigate HMS Montrose have the firepower, if backed by planes from the US 5th Fleet, to counter Iran's ageing collection of conventional bombers, frigates and submarines. But Iran has several unconventional means of causing havoc if it chooses. Limpet mines, placed by frogmen or delivered by fast boats, have already struck six tankers in the Gulf of Oman, triggering a blame-game abou

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