Havana, Cuba. - The United Kingdom has sent a destroyer to the Strait of Ormuz as part of the dangerous escalation of threats against Iran.

The British Ministry of Defense informed that this voyage is the first official mission of the newest destroyer in the Royal Navy, "HMS Daring", type 45. Although this deployment was already scheduled, dispatching it coincides with the rising tensions in the area.

The "HMS Daring” is equipped with “Sea Viper” antiaircraft missiles and can carry helicopters of the "Chinook" type. In 2011, it completed four years of tests.

We must remember that last November the British Government suspended financial relations between the two countries and even all contacts with Iranian Central Bank. Teheran replied passing a law by parliamentary majority, to reduce diplomatic relations to the level of charge d’affaires, which entailed recalling the ambassadors.

One sixth of the world oil crosses through the Strait of Ormuz. Teheran recently warned that it could close navigation in response to the Western threat that it could ban Iranian oil exports due to its nuclear program.

The Strait

It is 55 kilometers wide, with rocky formations scattered all over it. It connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean. The Strait of Ormuz has long been the focus of attention of empires and their navies.

In the last few decades, it has become an increasingly critical point. One third of the world oil carried by sea, about 15 million barrels of oil every day, passes through Ormuz.

The Strait of Ormuz was supposedly named after the Persian word Hur-mogh, in connection with the palm trees that grow along its coastline. Seamen mentioned it in The Voyage across the Sea of Eritrea, during the first century and it is famous for its pearls as well.

It is so narrow that the sea routes are hardly two kilometers wide. Ships have to cross the territorial waters of Oman and Iran, a country that disputes sovereignty over a handful of islands close to the Strait with the United Arab Emirates.

The Strait of Ormuz is under Iranian and Omani jurisdiction, but it is governed by international laws, since a great deal of world trade sails through it. However, its strategic nature derives from the fact that it is the main route for countries of the region to export their oil to United States, Japan and Western Europe. If the flow of cargo carriers stops, it would cause a worldwide economic mayhem, especially in this moment of widespread crisis.

The tensions

The countries of the area follow the situation with great concern and are getting ready for a likely armed conflict. "No Arab Gulf country wants war, but everyone is preparing for it. This is what is happening at the moment in the region", assured Riyadh Kahwaji, director of the Institute of Military Analysis on the Near East and the Gulf (INEGMA).

We must keep in mind that US army is present in almost every Arab country of the Gulf.

"The countdown in the Gulf has begun and it cannot be stopped," stressed Kuwaiti military analyst Sami al Faraj. He added, “…and the countries of the Gulf will undoubtedly be the greatest losers."

Two US warships have just crossed the Strait. They are carrier "USS John C. Stennis" and cruiser "USS Mobile Bay", carrying guided missiles. Official sources assure, "…their crossing was a scheduled one”, allegedly "routine", a rather dubious statement. By: Ana Teresa Badia