The US is reportedly maintaining an “armada” in the Indian Ocean, supported by U.S. carrier battle groups and warplanes based in Europe, and an amphibious task force including several thousand U.,S. Marines. This has led to concerns about oil price spikes and potential economic harm to the rest of the world. The situation is also affecting European, Pacific, and African nations dependent on Mideast resources. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has suggested that the world should brace for oil prices above $200 a barrel, almost double the current levels. Meanwhile, ships near Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have been struck by unidentified projectiles, most likely Iranian drones or missiles. Britain has no naval forces in the Gulf and only a handful of jets in Cyprus, while the one available air-defence destroyer, HMS Dragon, is reportedly headed for the eastern Mediterranean where it might support defence of Britain’s Cyprus airfields.