Iran: Protests

Lord West of Spithead Excerpts

Monday 12th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

That is such an important point. As the noble Lord reminds us, our security services have done amazing things in preventing so many attempts at attacks on this country. We will not stand for it; we will take whatever measures necessary to keep everybody in this country safe. The noble Lord is talking in particular about those who have drawn the attention of the Iranian regime, and we will continue to do that. Our security services are alive to the increased threat that they face at present, and they will continue.

[Lord West of Spithead (Lab)]

My Lords, when I was First Sea Lord, I tended to send warships towards the sound of the guns. If things go wrong in Iran, as it looks as if they might well do, the whole of that region will be in great difficulty and trouble. We currently have one mine-hunter in Bahrain—that is all. Is there any intention to beef up our military presence there, bearing in mind the huge threat to the waterways should things go up in the air?