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ROYAL navy warship HMS Dragon is being deployed to the Middle East to prepare for a “potential” mission in the Strait of Hormuz.
Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon will “pre-position” in the region and could play a key role in guarding commercial vessels from Iranian airstrikes.
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Today’s announcement comes amid a fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran as negotiations continue.
The US has placed its own blockade on the critical Strait, which is used by thousands of ships carrying 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply.
On Friday, US forces struck two Iran-linked vessels attempting to dock at the country’s ports.
HMS Dragon, which is based in Portsmouth and has a crew of 200, has been going through weapons testing off the coast of Crete since leaving the UK in March.
Last month, the 500ft warship had to return to port for maintenance after reports that it suffered a fault with its water systems.
A defence source said: “Dragon is a highly capable warship, so naturally she is likely to be part of our UK contribution to restoring confidence for global trade through the strait.
“This move is all about being prepared, should the conditions allow for our coalition to begin its work.
“The UK and France will continue to lead these efforts, turning diplomatic consensus into military options.
“Some people love to talk Britain’s military down, but this exemplifies how our Royal Navy is at the forefront of efforts to restore stability and economic security for British families and businesses back home.”
The deployment is said to be defensive in nature and at least 40 countries are also set to join with their own ships.
A multinational mission championed by PM Sir Keir Starmer and French leader Emmanuel Macron would see nations using their vessels as peacekeepers.
Talks between the US and Iran have repeatedly stalled, with President Donald Trump threatening to obliterate the Islamic Republic if it does not agree to a deal.
On Friday, Mr Trump said he expected a response from Tehran, stating: “I’m getting a letter supposedly tonight… We’ll find out soon enough.”
The US has demanded that any long-term ceasefire involve Iran abandoning its ambition to build a nuclear bomb.
The war has already seen the price of oil surge as much as 40 per cent, affecting the price of fuel in the UK.
Britain’s decision to send a ship to the Middle East could placate Mr Trump after he accused the UK and other NATO nations of failing to do enough to support the US.
The US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, last week declared that America’s troops would not guard the Strait of Hormuz forever.
Announcing Mr Trump’s “Project Freedom”, which was almost immediately halted when Iran re-entered negotiations, he added: “As I’ve said before, the world needs this waterway a lot more than we do.
“We expect the world to step up”.
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.”
English (US) · 