Published On 9/5/2026
The British aircraft carrier HMS Dragon is heading to the Middle East on a “potential mission” through the Strait of Hormuz, according to The Times, citing a defense source in London.
The source stated, “Dragon is a highly capable warship, so it is natural for it to be part of the United Kingdom’s contribution to restoring confidence in global trade across the Strait.”
Agence France-Presse also quoted a spokesman for the British Ministry of Defense as saying, “This positioning of the Dragon ship is part of careful planning aimed at ensuring that the United Kingdom is prepared, within a multinational coalition jointly led by the United Kingdom and France, to secure the Strait when conditions permit.”
The British Ministry of Defense said that the deployment of the destroyer will enhance the confidence of the commercial shipping sector and support mine clearance efforts as soon as hostilities stop.
Limited capacity
Observers believe that Britain’s ability to participate in any protection mission will be limited due to the Royal Navy, which has become much smaller than it was in the past, as some ships were withdrawn from service before providing replacements for them.
“Dragon” – a destroyer belonging to the British Air Defense Force – was previously sent to the eastern Mediterranean shortly after the start of the American-Israeli war on Iran, to help defend Cyprus.
Last April, the ship was forced to return to port for maintenance amid reports of a malfunction in the freshwater system.
Sending this ship to the Middle East follows a step by France to send its aircraft carrier group to the southern Red Sea, amid the two countries working together on a defense plan aimed at restoring confidence in passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
As the United States and Iran approach a possible exit from their 10-week war, France and Britain are working on a proposal to lay the groundwork for safe transit through the strait once the situation stabilizes.
Military plan
Last April, Britain and France announced the development of a military plan to secure the Strait of Hormuz, which would allow the resumption of commercial shipping traffic in this vital corridor.
At a two-day meeting held in London last month with the participation of 44 countries, military planners discussed the practicalities of a multinational mission led by the United Kingdom and France to protect navigation in this key waterway.
It was reported that about 40 countries agreed to participate in the mission aimed at returning shipping traffic in Hormuz to normal.
Before the United States and Israel began launching attacks on Iran on February 28, about 20% of the world’s oil was shipped through the strait.
But this percentage has declined significantly in recent months, as Iran has almost completely closed the strait, leading to turmoil in global markets and rising oil prices. Later, the United States imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in response to Tehran’s closure of the strait.
On Saturday, Iran questioned the seriousness of American diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire in the wake of renewed naval clashes in the Gulf region.
Yesterday, Friday, an American fighter jet opened fire on two oil tankers flying the Iranian flag and disabled them, after Washington accused them of trying to break the naval blockade it imposes on Iranian ports, and Iran launched attacks in response.
