The Iran debacle has exposed our politicians’ lack of military sense
SIR – Acting in haste on behalf of the EU to seize a foreign tanker was bound to have consequences, especially as the Royal Navy has so few usable ships. Refusing help from the United States to escort our tankers through the Strait of Hormuz (report, July 22) compounded the folly.
As a staff college instructor, I do not recall any military student suggesting such a foolish course of action to deal with a similar challenge. Are our ministers properly trained for their critical roles?
Group Captain DRE Evans (retd) Cardiff
SIR – Iran’s hijacking of British ships highlights the folly of investing a large part of the Navy’s budget in two huge, cumbersome, vulnerable aircraft carriers. A fleet of frigates and small boats would be far more effective.
Brian Sanders
Brighton, East Sussex
SIR – To my knowledge, Jeremy Hunt wasn’t part of the Cabinet that bought two white-elephant aircraft carriers. It was the legacy of Gordon Brown’s Labour government. I live close to Rosyth, where they were assembled.
Ian Kelman
Dunfermline, Fife
SIR – Sir Alan Duncan is leaving the Foreign Office because of his dislike of Boris Johnson, but it would have been more to his credit at this time of crisis if he had remained in his post to assist Mr Hunt in negotiations with Iran.
A lot of MPS are motivated more by their own pride than that of their country.
Colin Eldred
Eastbourne, East Sussex
SIR – If HMS Montrose had been close to the tanker abducted by Iranian forces (Letters, July 22), what action could it have taken?
Would it have shot down the helicopter and fired on the gunboats? Or could it have sent out boarding parties? Any action like this would have resulted in considerable loss of life, and the event would have become a major international incident.
David Vaudrey
Doynton, Gloucestershire
SIR – Were our tankers to carry heavily armed specialists to repel gunboats, as suggested in yesterday’s letters, we would risk starting a new Gulf war.
Instead, they should be fitted with a water jet system of the kind used to repel Somali pirates. Pointing the jets upwards as well as outwards, creating mists over the decks, would also deter helicopters from lowering gunmen.
Nick Rose
Chichester, West Sussex
SIR – When the media reports major incidents – whether criminal, medical, educational or otherwise – a serving professional briefs the public.
For defence issues, only politicians and retired admirals seem to address the public. Have the Armed Forces been struck dumb?
Christopher Samuel
Haslemere, Surrey