The stand-off between Iran and the US has receded from the headlines, but a lot is happening behind the scenes, and a lot of it involves the UK.
Most obviously, more and more British warships have sailed to the region, part of a long-term effort by the Conservative government to re-establish the country as a global maritime power.
This includes building up the permanent naval force operating out of HMS Juffair, the base in Bahrain. Until April this was primarily the shore facility for four minehunters and their support auxiliary but there is now an escort – frigate or destroyer – to be based there. The current ship is HMS Montrose, a Type-23 anti-submarine frigate. What is really significant is that Montrose has recently been joined by a much larger, more sophisticated warship: HMS Duncan, a Type-45 air-defence destroyer.
