The HMS Dragon during ammunitioning operations at Upper Harbour Ammunitioning Facility (UHAF) in Portsmouth Harbour, March 4, 2026. REUTERS\/Carlos Jasso<\/p>\n
UK Deploys Warship To Middle East For Potential Hormuz Mission<\/p>\n
LONDON, May 9 (Reuters)\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Britain said on Saturday it was deploying its warship HMS Dragon to the Middle East in preparation for a potential multinational effort to protect\u00a0shipping\u00a0in the Strait of Hormuz once conditions allow.<\/p>\n
, an air defense destroyer, was sent to the Eastern Mediterranean in March, shortly after the start of the\u00a0Iran war, to help defend Cyprus.<\/p>\n
Its relocation to the Middle East follows a move by France to<\/p>\n
deploy its\u00a0carrier strike group<\/p>\n
to the southern Red Sea, as the two countries work together on a defensive plan aimed at restoring confidence in the trade route.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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,\u201d a spokesperson for Britain\u2019s Ministry of Defence said.<\/p>\n
U.S. and Iran inch toward a potential\u00a0off-ramp<\/p>\n
from their 10-week war,\u00a0France and Britain\u00a0have been working on a proposal to lay the groundwork for safe transit through the Strait once the situation stabilizes.<\/p>\n
U.S. Confirms Iranian Attack on U.S. Navy Destroyers in Strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n
The plan would need coordination with Iran and a dozen countries have indicated a willingness to take part.<\/p>\n
Britain\u2019s ability to participate in any protective mission will be limited by the\u00a0stretched Royal\u00a0Navy, which is much smaller now than in the past and which has had to retire some ships before replacements have become available.<\/p>\n