HMS Dragon will be Sent to Middle East to ‘Safeguard Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz’
By Issy Clarke
The Royal Navy warship will be repositioned ahead of a potential UK and French-led mission to secure the strait.
The HMS Dragon is being redeployed to the Middle East ahead of a potential international mission to safeguard shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the Ministry of Defence has said.
The Royal Navy warship is being sent to the region to be ready to join the UK and French-led initiative once hostilities cease between Iran and US-Israeli forces.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “We can confirm that HMS Dragon will deploy to the Middle East to pre-position ahead of any future multinational mission to protect international shipping when conditions allow them to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
“The pre-positioning of HMS Dragon is part of prudent planning that will ensure that the UK is ready, as part of a multinational coalition jointly led by the UK and France, to secure the strait, when conditions allow.”
A container ship sits at anchor as a small motorboat passes in the Strait of Hormuz.
A fragile ceasefire remains in place, although attacks on Friday saw US forces hit two Iranian tankers that were trying to breach the blockade imposed by Donald Trump.
The proposed mission championed by Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron would involve a coalition of nations willing to ensure freedom of navigation in the strait, a vital route for global oil and gas supplies along with other goods including fertiliser.
It comes as the US waits to hear from Tehran about its proposals for a peace deal as tensions continue to flare in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
On Friday Mr Trump said he was expecting a response from Tehran that evening, stating: “I’m getting a letter supposedly tonight,” adding: “We’ll find out soon enough.”
It follows an escalation in hostilities in the Gulf in recent days since the ceasefire began a month ago.
On Friday, the US struck two Iran-linked vessels attempting to dock at an Iranian port accused of violating the American blockade. Iran has accused the US of violating the ceasefire with Mr Trump claims is still being kept to.
The US imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports last month – although CIA intelligence has suggested Iran could withstand the economic pressure of a blockade lasting several months, raising questions over the efficacy of the measure as leverage.
Before the war approximately one fifth of the world’s oil supply passed through the key waterway. The US blockade has been in place since last month.
The decision to move HMS Dragon from the eastern Mediterranean, where it had been defending British bases on Cyprus, will allow the destroyer to contribute immediately should the defensive mission in the strait be launched.
The Royal Navy type-45 destroyer has been docked in the Eastern Mediterranean since early April after experiencing a “minor technical issue”.
It was a blow for the Royal Navy after First Sea Lorf Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins said the Navy has “work to do” before it is ready for combat.
It came amid calls from armed forces leaders to up defence spending in the wake of the US and Israel’s war in the Middle East.
“If we were told to go to war, of course we would,” he told Swedish outlet Svenska Dagbladet
“But are we as ready as we should be? I don’t think we are. We have work to do and I am completely dedicated to the mission.”
The HMS Dragon arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean almost three weeks after an Iranian drone struck an RAF base on the island.It has a crew of around 200 and is one of the Royal Navy’s six Type 45 destroyers.
It took weeks for the ship to set sail after being hurried out of maintenance and fitted with the correct weapons in Portsmouth.
Britain’s RAF Regiment gunners have continued to shoot down Iranian drones as they defend British airbases, according to the MoD.
RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was targeted by Iran earlier early on during the Middle East conflict but no casualties were reported.
RAF personnel and their families at the base were later ordered to return to their homes and take cover over security threats.
