A well-placed source inside Whitehall has confirmed that the Royal Navy has been placed on an enhanced state of readiness, following a late-night tweet from President Donald Trump claiming a US-Iran deal will be signed on Sunday. The tweet, posted at 3:17 AM Eastern Time, read: 'Big deal with Iran being signed Sunday. You will see. Nuclear deal, the real one. Details later.' No further details were provided by the White House.
According to an internal MOD memo obtained by this correspondent, the Royal Navy's surface fleet in the Persian Gulf has been ordered to maintain a higher defensive posture, with HMS Defender and HMS Diamond both instructed to remain at immediate notice for movement. A defence source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: 'We are watching this very closely. The Americans have not briefed us on any deal. Our posture is precautionary, but we cannot afford to be caught off guard.'
The development comes amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian fast-attack boats have repeatedly harassed commercial shipping. The UK has maintained a continuous naval presence in the region since the seizure of the tanker Stena Impero in 2019.
Downing Street declined to comment on the president's claim, but a Foreign Office spokesperson reiterated that the UK would welcome 'a negotiated solution that prevents Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.' The spokesperson added: 'We have not been informed of any imminent signing.'
Opposition MPs have called for an urgent statement from the Defence Secretary, with Labour's shadow defence secretary John Healey stating: 'The government must come to the House and explain what is happening. The British people deserve to know why our navy is being scrambled on the basis of a tweet.'
The timeline for the alleged deal remains unclear. Trump's tweet suggests a Sunday signing, but neither US Secretary of State Marco Rubio nor National Security Advisor Mike Waltz have offered any corroboration. A State Department official, speaking off the record, described the tweet as 'premature.'
This is a developing story. Follow our live blog for updates as they emerge.
