The UK has deployed the Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon to the Middle East as part of preparations for a potential multinational mission to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a move that has drawn a direct warning from Iran that any foreign naval presence in the area could face an “immediate and decisive response.”
The UK Ministry of Defense announced it would deploy a destroyer to a future multinational mission to secure the critical waterway and safeguard freedom of navigation, following a sustainable ceasefire.
According to the officials, HMS Dragon can use its Sea Viper missile system to help safeguard UK assets and interests, assisted by Wildcats from 815 Naval Air Squadron equipped with Marlet missiles able to deal with the aerial drone threat.
The Portsmouth-based warship left the UK in March and has been helping to safeguard the island of Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean. The ship has recently completed weapons and sensor trials during NATO exercises in the Mediterranean, including operations near Cyprus.
Commander Iain Giffin , the ship’s commanding officer, said the vessel had demonstrated readiness to operate alongside allied forces in high-threat environments and support coordinated maritime security operations.
Defense Secretary John Healey will soon co-chair a meeting of over 40 nations, alongside his French counterpart, Minister Catherine Vautrin, for the multinational mission’s first Defense Ministers’ meeting.
The plan is strictly defensive and, once conditions allow, will focus on restoring confidence for commercial shipping along the critical trade route. HMS Dragon’s forward presence will help strengthen confidence among commercial shipping firms, support mine-clearance efforts, and protect vessels once hostilities have ceased, the navy stated.
A joint UK/France military HQ in the region will coordinate and command future operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, it was highlighted.
The deployment comes as Iran issued a warning against any foreign naval presence in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that the presence of British, French, or other extra-regional warships would be treated as a hostile escalation.
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فرانسه اعلام کرده است ناو هواپیمابر «شارل دوگل» را برای آماده سازی یک ماموریت آینده همکاریهای مشترک میان پاریس و لندن با هدف تقویت آزادی کشتیرانی در منطقه تنگه هرمز، به سمت دریای سرخ و خلیج عدن فرستاده است. در همین حال، دولت انگلیس هم اعلام کرده که در همراهی با فرانسه، یکی از…
He warned that such deployments, particularly if linked to US-led activity in the region, would be met with an “immediate and decisive response” from Iran’s armed forces.
Tehran described foreign naval operations under the pretext of protecting shipping as a form of “militarization” of a vital waterway
France has also indicated involvement in future coordination efforts, having announced the deployment of its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the broader region as part of preparations for a multinational mission alongside the UK.
“We remind them that, whether in times of war or peace, only the Islamic Republic of Iran can establish security in this strait and will not allow any country to interfere in such matters,” Gharibabadi added.
The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, disrupting international shipping including to around a fifth of the world’s oil supply. This has driven up global energy prices, disrupted supply chains, and increased costs.