Newsmax
Tuesday, January 16, 2007 

U.S. naval forces in the Mideast are getting a little help from an old friend.

Britain's Royal Navy is sending two minesweepers to the Persian Gulf, beefing up an allied effort to thwart Iran's growing power in the region, according to the Times of London.

The United States increased pressure on Iran recently, seizing its agents in two cities in Iraq. They were accused of supporting militant Iraqi groups, a charge that Iran denies.

That sort of behavior is what prompted the United States to beef up its presence in the Gulf, adding two aircraft carrier groups and an air defense battalion.

"We are simply reaffirming that statement of the importance of the Gulf region to the United States and our determination to be an ongoing strong presence in the area for a long time into the future,” said Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the Times.

England is sending the minehunters HMS Blyth and HMS Ramsey for two-year missions aimed at keeping shipping routes open.