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Burcu Ozcelik, a Middle East security expert at Britain’s Royal United Services Institute, told AFP: “Iran’s strategy is to create pressure on Washington DC by angering the Gulf and by creating upward trends in the price of oil, gas and other commodities.”

The UK, through successive defence reviews, have made some strategic choices,” he said. “It’s Nato first. It’s the North Atlantic, it’s the High North. The principal adversary is Russia....And so, if those choices have been made, that has meant a drawdown of fewer forces in other regions, including the Middle East. Every time you make a choice...you’ve got to accept the consequences."

Seizing the island would cut off Iran’s oil lifeline, which is crucial for the regime,” says Petras Katinas, research fellow in climate, energy and defence in the Europe office of the Royal United Services Institute. “Of course, with shipping via the Strait of Hormuz now stopped, they cannot sell oil anyway, but looking ahead, seizure would give the US leverage during negotiations, no matter which regime is in power after the military operation ends.”