The British government announced on Thursday that it had sent the Royal Navy ship "Diamond" to contribute to enhancing security in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean.
Britain stated that the ship “will work to deter escalation by malicious and hostile actors seeking to disrupt maritime security,” and will conduct operations to ensure freedom of navigation, reassure commercial ships, and ensure the safe flow of trade.
The Houthis in Yemen seized the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the southern Red Sea earlier this month.
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said, "It is important that Britain strengthen our presence in the region to preserve Britain's security and our interests in a world with more turmoil and conflict."
Britain already deploys the Lancaster frigate, three mine-hunting vessels and a support ship in the region.
The International Atomic Energy Agency calls for the resumption of dialogue with Iran regarding its nuclear program
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, called on world leaders to resume dialogue with Iran regarding its nuclear program.
This came in an interview with the Financial Times newspaper, where he called on world powers to resume negotiations with Iran, and not to ignore the risks associated with the accumulation of its reserves of enriched uranium. The newspaper quoted Grossi as saying: “It is necessary to resume dialogue with Iran, as the situation regarding Tehran’s nuclear program is not defined at all,” and called for sitting at the table and resuming negotiations.
He continued: “Trying to return the nuclear agreement to the framework of the JCPOA will not succeed, but it can still be called the JCPOA-2 or something like that, because we will have to adapt.” The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran in 2015, with the aim of overcoming the crisis surrounding nuclear developments in Tehran. The document stipulated the gradual lifting of sanctions on Iran in exchange for its commitment to limit its nuclear activities.
In 2018, former US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw from this agreement, while current President Joe Biden repeatedly indicated his willingness to return Washington to the nuclear agreement. Russia, Britain, Germany, China, the United States and France have been negotiating with Iran in Vienna since April 2021 about resuming the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to its original form.
On November 10, 2022, Grossi said that another round of negotiations with Iranian representatives ended in Vienna without any result.