The UK is deploying a Royal Navy destroyer to the Middle East in preparation for a possible multinational mission to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday.
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 UK- and French-led maritime initiative once conditions allow, multiple UK news outlets reported, citing the ministry spokesperson.
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 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.”
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