 Lacking the available naval forces to launch a sizeable campaign in the Gulf , the British authorities attempted to use diplomacy to end the threat . In February 1806 , the young Sultan of Oman , Sa 'id II ibn Sultan , signed a treaty at Bandar Abbas promising to bring an end to attacks originating from his territory , but by 1807 the French had installed consulates in Tehran and Muscat and attacks continued unabated with their encouragement . In 1807 , Lord Minto , Governor General of India , determined to send ambassadors to the Sikh Empire , Afghanistan and Persia in an effort to secure their support and prevent the French from gaining allies on India 's western borders . As part of this diplomatic campaign , the ambassador to Persia was instructed to discuss the problem with the Persian government , but due to French influence in Tehran , he was unable to obtain any guarantees . 
