UK sends HMS Dragon to Middle East for possible Strait of Hormuz mission

The Royal Navy is sending HMS Dragon to the Middle East so the warship can potentially join a future mission to safeguard shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Ministry of Defence said the deployment is part of "prudent planning" for what it described as a "strictly defensive and independent" role.

HMS Dragon is a Type 45 destroyer and one of the Royal Navy's six ships built for anti-aircraft and anti-missile warfare.

The warship has recently been in the eastern Mediterranean as part of UK defensive operations there.

The move comes as the Strait of Hormuz remains a live flashpoint for global energy supplies.

The waterway carries about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas, and any disruption can quickly affect prices.

Sir Keir Starmer, who is championing the mission alongside French president Emmanuel Macron, has said the shipping operation would only take place once fighting in the region ends.

The Ministry of Defence said the new deployment would give the UK Armed Forces "additional options" for a future multinational mission.

The announcement follows a period of heightened tension in the area.

#HMSDragon #RoyalNavy #StraitofHormuz #MinistryofDefence #shippingsecurity