The British government is deploying a Royal Navy warship to the Middle East in preparation for a possible multinational mission to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the Defense Ministry said on Saturday, Anadolu Agency reports.
The HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer previously stationed in the eastern Mediterranean near Cyprus, will pre-position in the region and stand ready to join a British- and French-led maritime initiative once conditions allow, citing the ministry spokesman.
The proposed mission, backed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, aims to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
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 spokesperson said.
The positioning of HMS Dragon is part of prudent planning that will ensure that the London is ready, as part of a multinational coalition jointly led by Britain and France, to secure the strait, when conditions allow.
France orders Carrier Strike Group led by the Charles de Gaulle to Persian Gulf
Regional tensions have escalated since the US regime and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, 2026 triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement.
The truce was later extended by Trump without a set deadline, giving way to diplomacy for a permanent solution to the conflict.
Since April 13, 2026 the US Navy tried to enforce a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the waterway.
Trump announced Tuesday that the US military will temporarily pause “Project Freedom” to restore defensive hardware for navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and said the American blockade will remain in full force and effect.
Middle East Monitor / ABC Flash Point News 2026.
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