Junior defense minister: UK committed to military presence in Middle East

Junior UK defense minister Tobias Ellwood said on Sunday that Britain is sending “assets” to the region, and is committed to providing a military presence in the Middle East to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.

“Our first and most important responsibility is to make sure that we get a solution to the issue to do with the current ship, make sure other British-flagged ships are safe to operate in these waters and then look at the wider picture,” he told Sky News.

Asked about the possibility of sanctions, he said: “We are going to be looking at a series of options ... We will be speaking with our colleagues, our international allies, to see what can actually be done.”