1. An armada of US and British naval power is massing in the Persian Gulf in the belief that Israel is considering a pre-emptive strike against Irans covert nuclear weapons programme.
2. Battleships, aircraft carriers, minesweepers and submarines from 25 nations are converging on the strategically important Strait of Hormuz in an unprecedented show of force as Israel and Iran move towards the brink of war
3. Western leaders are convinced that Iran will retaliate to any attack by attempting to mine or blockade the shipping lane through which passes around 18 million barrels of oil every day, approximately 35 per cent of the worlds petroleum traded by sea.
4. In preparation for any pre-emptive or retaliatory action by Iran, warships from more than 25 countries, including the United States, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, will today begin an annual 12-day exercise.
5. The war games are the largest ever undertaken in the region.
They will practise tactics in how to breach an Iranian blockade of the strait and the force will also undertake counter-mining drills.
6. ...commanders will also simulate destroying Iranian combat jets, ships and coastal missile batteries.
7. Defence sources say that although Irans capability may not be technologically sophisticated, it could deliver a series of lethal blows against British and US ships using mini-subs, fast attack boats, mines and shore-based anti-ship missile batteries.
9. Many within the Obama administration believe that Israel will launch a pre-emptive strike against Irans nuclear facilities before the US presidential elections, an act which would signal the failure of one of Washingtons key foreign policy objectives.
10. One defence source told The Sunday Telegraph last night: If it came to war, there would be carnage. The Iranian casualties would be huge but they would be able to inflict severe blows against the US and British.
The Iranian Republican Guard are well versed in asymmetrical warfare and would use swarm attacks to sink or seriously damage ships. This is a conflict nobody wants, but the rhetoric from Israel is unrelenting.
Armada of British naval power massing in the Gulf as Israel prepares an Iran strike - Telegraph
2. Battleships, aircraft carriers, minesweepers and submarines from 25 nations are converging on the strategically important Strait of Hormuz in an unprecedented show of force as Israel and Iran move towards the brink of war
3. Western leaders are convinced that Iran will retaliate to any attack by attempting to mine or blockade the shipping lane through which passes around 18 million barrels of oil every day, approximately 35 per cent of the worlds petroleum traded by sea.
4. In preparation for any pre-emptive or retaliatory action by Iran, warships from more than 25 countries, including the United States, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, will today begin an annual 12-day exercise.
5. The war games are the largest ever undertaken in the region.
They will practise tactics in how to breach an Iranian blockade of the strait and the force will also undertake counter-mining drills.
6. ...commanders will also simulate destroying Iranian combat jets, ships and coastal missile batteries.
7. Defence sources say that although Irans capability may not be technologically sophisticated, it could deliver a series of lethal blows against British and US ships using mini-subs, fast attack boats, mines and shore-based anti-ship missile batteries.
9. Many within the Obama administration believe that Israel will launch a pre-emptive strike against Irans nuclear facilities before the US presidential elections, an act which would signal the failure of one of Washingtons key foreign policy objectives.
10. One defence source told The Sunday Telegraph last night: If it came to war, there would be carnage. The Iranian casualties would be huge but they would be able to inflict severe blows against the US and British.
The Iranian Republican Guard are well versed in asymmetrical warfare and would use swarm attacks to sink or seriously damage ships. This is a conflict nobody wants, but the rhetoric from Israel is unrelenting.
Armada of British naval power massing in the Gulf as Israel prepares an Iran strike - Telegraph
