Even U.S. Can’t Believe What UK and Ukraine Are About to Do in the Strait of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz is a problem, not just for the world, but very specifically for Ukraine.Russia is trying to benefit from an oil windfall caused by rising prices, and Ukraine is about to do something about it.And it gets worse for Putin.Ukraine is bringing the UK along for the ride.Even the US can't believe what the UK and Ukraine are doing, as what was meant to unblock Ukraine is now going to unblock the Strait of Hormuz.The mine hunters are being readied.

Four of them, in fact, all of which Ukraine says that it is ready to deploy whenever they're needed to unblock the Strait of Hormuz and return some semblance of normality to a global energy industry that has been shaken by the conflict in Iran.The news came ahead of Ukrainian naval officers attending a multinational military planning summit on April 22nd, which involved more than 30 nations.Ukraine made it very clear that it's ready to help in whatever way it can.Speaking to the Times, an unnamed Ukrainian source laid it all out.The source said, We are ready to offer everything.There are four mine hunters, all in Portsmouth.

They can't go to Ukraine because, first of all, they would be target number one, and secondly, because of the Montreux Convention, the source told the outlet.That gives you a little clue about what the UK has to do with all of this.As for the Montreux Convention, that gives Turkey the authority to restrict or prohibit passage of military vessels from any nation into the Black Sea.Turkey controls the two straits that lead into this crucial sea, which has been the naval battleground in the Ukraine war.Ukraine can't send its mine hunters into the Black Sea, so it's ready to send them to the Strait of Hormuz instead.Here's where it gets serious.

The ships that Ukraine is planning to send to the Gulf are all purpose -built to deal with one of the key problems that Iran is trying to create in that waterway, and at least one of them has experience operating under the very conditions under which it will need to operate if it does get sent on Ukraine's Gulf -saving mission.Right now, Ukraine has four mine -hunting ships that it isn't able to send into the Black Sea.Two of them are Royal Navy Sandown -class mine hunters that were donated to Ukraine.the UK back in 2023 to strengthen Ukraine's ability to operate at sea.The HMS Shoreham and the HMS Grimsby are going to play a crucial role in Ukraine's coastal defenses once its war with Russia is over, but right now they're sitting in a port doing not a whole lot of anything.Ukraine says it's willing to change that as it builds on its efforts to unblock Hormuz and turn itself into a major player in the Gulf.

The other two ships that Ukraine has ready to go are the UNS Melitopol and UNS Mariupol, which were handed to Ukraine by the Dutch and Belgian navies.Like the two former Royal Navy ships, those two vessels are waiting in port for any opportunity to see any kind of action in the Strait of Hormuz.The HMS Shoreham, in particular, will be a very welcome addition to the solution for the Strait of Hormuz problem.It's been to the Middle East before.Back in 2018, the Mine Hunter began what ended up being a three -year deployment to the Middle East, where it was tasked with securing shipping lanes for merchant ships.The HMS Shoreham handled mines that had been placed in deep waters because it has a special sonar that can be detached from the hull and lowered deep into the sea.

The HMS Grimsey comes from the same class of Mine Hunters, so we can assume it has this capability too.And it's here where we see the UK's role in all of this start to emerge.We have the obvious one, of course.Two of the ships that Ukraine is planning to send into the Gulf come from the Royal Navy.But it runs a lot deeper than that.Both of those ships, along with Ukraine's other mine hunters, are currently docked in UK ports.

In the cases of the UNS Melitopol and Mariupol, those vessels are actively crewed by Ukrainian sailors and training with the Royal Navy as they await their deployment to the Strait of Hormuz.There is coordination happening here.The UK didn't just give its ships to Ukraine.It's making sure that Ukraine can use them.So when Ukraine is ready to send four mine hunters into the Strait of Hormuz, it isn't making empty promises.It knows those ships and their crews are ready.

The UK has made sure of that.Adding to the UK's involvement, the deployment of Ukraine's four mine hunters would most likely comeas part of a joint UK and French effort to unblock the Strait of Hormuz.

That's what the April 22nd meeting was all about.Leaders from over 30 nations met to discuss what military assets they could dedicate to the Gulf to ensure the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.Whatever mission is arranged will be, "...strictly peaceful and defensive," UK Prime Minister Sakia Starmer has declared.Out of the 30, Ukraine was the first to declare its intentions even before the meeting took place.Ukraine wants to be a key player in solving the Gulf crisis.

But for Putin and Russia, the real problem is that Ukraine is playing the long game.Clearing the Strait of Hormuz damages Russia's war effort.Stick with us to find out why.

First, there's a caveat to all of this.The Ukrainian ships, along with the joint UK and France -led mission, will only head toward Iran when Operation Epic Fury ends.Neither the UK nor France wants to send ships into the Strait of Hormuz while there is a likelihood of the Iran war continuing.The risk is too great for the ship's crews, as they would end up engulfed in a war zone stemming from a conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran.Plus, it seems that all nations involved want to tread carefully around any potential interpretation of their actions that could lead other countries to claim they're supporting the US directly in its war.So the mine hunters don't sail until the conflict in Iran is over.

As for when that will be, let's just say it's all to be determined.The initial truce between the U .S.and Iran was set to expire at around the same time as Ukraine met with the 30 -plus nations that are ready to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.That appears to have changed now.On April 21st, Reuters reported that the U .

S.had announced that the truce was being extended indefinitely to allow the U .S.and Iran more time to negotiate a potential peace settlement that could bring an end to Operation Epic Theory.The problem now is that peace talks don't really seem to be going anywhere.On April 25th, PBS reported that the latest round of talks between the U .

S.and Iran appeared to have failed.Iran's top diplomat has already left Pakistan, which is where talks were being held, and U .Trump has also claimed that he has told the U .S. envoysS.envoys not to travel to Islamabad.

Trump has claimed that sending envoys into other countries is a waste of time when all Iran have to do is call.Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Aragchi, has also suggested that the talks aren't going particularly well.Shared Iran's position concerning workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran.Have yet to see if the U .S.is truly serious about diplomacy.

Aragchi said on social media.Right now, it's looking more likely that bombs will start dropping again than that the US and Iran will reach any sort of agreement.So for now, Ukraine's mine hunters will have to wait, along with the joint mission to the Strait of Hormuz.However, as we've seen many times already, the Iran conflict can turn on a dime.we never quite know what's happening behind the scenes.And if that turn comes, and Ukraine's ships head to the Gulf, they'll have plenty of problems to clean up and will deliver a major gutshot to Putin in the process.

That changes everything, and it makes Ukraine's mine hunters invaluable to the country's war effort against Russia.But before we dig into that, you are watching the Military Show.If you haven't subscribed to the channel yet, now is the perfect time to hit that button.We'll start with Iran's mines.Even if the US and Iran reach some sort of agreement that leads to both pulling down their respective blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, the mines that Iran is believed to have already laid in the waterway will be an issue.How many merchant ships are going to be willing to sail if they don't know whether those mines have been cleared?

Compounding the problem is that Iran itself appears to have rather conveniently forgotten where it's placed its mines.That's according to an April 10th report by the New York Times, which says that Iran's forgetfulness was the reason the country's regime gave for not complying with the U .S.order to clear the Strait of Hormuz for a ceasefire to hold.How true Iran's claims are is a matter for debate, but what doesn't seem debatable is that Iran has been leaning back into its mind -laying strategy as peace discussions crumble.In an April 23rd report, Axios claimed that Iran's

Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, had started laying mines once again, which is the sort of escalation that will only anger the US.Indeed, the IRGC's actions already seem to have prompted a response from the Trump administration.NBC reports that Trump has ordered the US military to shoot and kill any Iranian boats that are discovered to be laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz or the surrounding waterways.Looks like Ukraine's mine hunters will have their work cut out for them when they arrive in the Gulf.When those vessels do arrive, they will likely have to deal with two types of naval mines that Iran is capable of laying.We know that Iran has left a path through the Strait of Hormuz that is allowing merchant ships that paid a toll to use.

Iran also has its own ships that it wants to get out of the waterway so that it can sell the oil it produces to its customers.As for the rest of the Strait, it's likely been laced with Maham -3 and Maham -7 mines.Neither of these is like the types of naval mines that you might expect Iran to be using.Rather than requiring a ship to make direct contact before they explode, Both use a combination of acoustic and magnetic sensors to detect when a ship has come within range.If those sensors trigger, the mine detonates automatically.In the case of the Maham 3, that means a 300 kilogram or 661 pound warhead, that can be submerged up to 100 meters or 328 feet below the waves, will tear through a ship's hull.

The Maham -7 is a little less powerful at 220 kilograms or 485 pounds.It's also designed for use in shallower waters, and it has a conical shape that is supposed to make it resistant to sonar.Both are dangerous.And despite the attrition caused to Iran's navy, The Guardian reports that Iran still has between 80 % and 90 % of its small boats and mine -laying vessels that it can use to lace the Strait of Hormuz.So it's clear that Ukraine sending its mine hunters into the Gulf will prove invaluable for commercial shipping.they are needed, along with the rest of the joint mission of which they will be a part.

Plus, the detachable sonars in the ships Ukraine received from the Royal Navy could end up proving essential for dealing with the Mahan -3 mines that are lying somewhere below the surface of the Strait of Hormuz.Simply sending its ships will be massive for Ukraine and its global reputation, as you'll soon discover.But right now, there's one man who is furious about this news.

He is a man who has watched the situation in the Gulf with glee, because it's led to oil prices rocketing up and more demand for his country's oil than there has been for a long time.That man is Putin.And he is livid about Ukraine's plans.The war in Iran couldn't have come at a better time for Russia, as four years of war with Ukraine have left the country's war chest on the brink of running out.

The war has been an economic gift for Putin, Chatham House declared in an April 10 piece, as it notes that the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz has reversed the good work being done by sanctions that have lowered the Group of Seven price cap on Russian oil to $46 per barrel.That cap, combined with what seemed to be a more stringent response to Russia's Shadow Fleet tankers, was taking effect during the first couple of months of 2026.In February alone, Russia lost out on about $1 .5 billion of oil revenue compared to the previous year, and oil export volumes were also down to 6 .6 million barrels per day.Then Operation Epic Fury started.Iran's resulting blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has led to the price of a barrel of oil skyrocketing, to the point where the Financial Times estimated that Russia was making an extra $150 million per day from its oil sales in early March.

The war -saving windfall that Putin was desperately hoping for had arrived, and Russia has been trying to milk it for all it is worth.

Ukraine has been making that hard.Constant attacks against Russia's oil export hubs have cut deep into the profits that Russia has been generating.Still, the maths on this one is pretty simple.The longer the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, the better it is for Russia's oil sales.Now, Putin has to deal with Ukraine taking an active role in the Strait of Hormuz.Even if the blockades ended today, Russia's president would still be in power.

of squeezing plenty more out of the energy crisis due to the mines that Iran has laid.Iran certainly isn't going to help clear those mines.With Ukraine joining the effort to do so, the Strait of Hormuz will be made safe just a little bit faster than it might have otherwise been.The price of a barrel of oil will drop.It won't be long after that that Russia will find itself right back where it was at the beginning of 2026.Putin will also be frothing at the mouth about the symbolic message that Ukraine's move sends to Russia.

Ukraine hasn't been able to use its mine hunters in the Black Sea.Turkey has made sure of that.However, Turkey's blanket ban on warships passing through the straits that it controls has also meant that Russia isn't able to replenish its ailing Black Sea fleet.That fleet has lost about a third of its ships and has been forced to withdraw from its Crimean headquarters, all because Ukraine found ways to wreck it without needing traditional ships.Missiles, drones, and unmanned surface vessels have made Russia's fleet a near non -factor in the Black Sea.By sending its mine hunters to Iran, Ukraine is telling Putin that it doesn't need them in one body of water that impacts the Ukraine war more than any other.

Turkey's decision doesn't matter.Ukraine can hurt Russia's war effort by sending its mine hunters thousands of miles away, leveraging a capability that Putin never expected Ukraine to have when he launched his invasion.It doesn't even need ships in the Black Sea to make Putin's fleet useless.Ukraine has naval power that it can deploy all over the globe.That brings us nicely to what Ukraine's move means for Ukraine itself.Ukraine doing all of this alongside a collective of European nations can't go ignored.

This is Ukraine conducting a transition from aid recipient to power player.It can work alongside its allies to have a true impact on the global stage.Russia ended up creating a military monster with a special military operation that was supposed to last a few days.And Ukraine is using that fact to build deeper ties with its European allies than ever before.And although it's unclear exactly how the mission that Europe's nations are planning will work alongside the U .S.

forces in the Gulf, especially after thebranded NATO a paper tiger and told the organization to stay away from the Strait, Ukraine's willingness to send ships will likely play well in the U .S. Trump'sS.Trump's messaging has been mixed when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz.Sometimes he says that the U .S.

doesn't need or want help.Other times, as we saw earlier in April, Trump is laying down deadlines for Europe to get involved.As of April 24th, Trump was claiming that the US had total control over the Strait of Hormuz, even as Iran said that it had seized two container ships.It's clear that there is still chaos in the vital Gulf waterway.Ukraine sending its mine hunters into the mix, along with European ships, and perhaps a US peacekeeping effort, would lead to that chaos subsiding.And that's what it's all about for Ukraine.

If the Strait of Hormuz reopens fully, Russia is hurt because the oil prices go down.It's all part of the attritional strategy that Ukraine has been waging against Putin's forces for years, only it's being done on a scale that nobody could have ever anticipated.Putin thought that he would be able to keep the Ukraine war contained to a regional affair.Ukraine is making the war global by tackling problems thousands of miles away from its own territory.all to hurt Russia and strengthens the sort of alliances that make Putin's plans for Europe worthless.And then there's Ukraine's newfound position in the Gulf.

Decade -long defense deals have been signed between Ukraine and several Gulf nations.Ukraine's commitment of mine hunters to the Gulf region will only deepen the cooperation between the country and its new partners, as well as damage Russia's influence in the Middle East.Unexpected alliances have been formed and Ukraine is setting itself up to be a major player in the Gulf for years to come.This is a bold move, and you can find out all about it by watching our video.And if you enjoyed this video, remember to subscribe to the Military Show so you can keep up with the latest moves Ukraine makes to turn itself into one of the world's most influential military nations.And thank you, as always, for watching.