(UK, 10th) The British destroyer HMS Dragon will be deployed to the Middle East in preparation to take part in the Strait of Hormuz escort mission.
On the 9th, UK Sky News quoted the Ministry of Defence, stating that this move means the vessel can immediately participate in the mission to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz if necessary. The related tasks will be defensive in nature, with the aim of restoring confidence in commercial shipping.
According to reports, the vessel was previously deployed to the eastern Mediterranean in March to strengthen local security and defense capabilities.
However, Reuters reported that the Royal Navy is currently overstretched, and its capacity to participate in any protective actions will be limited; the current size of the Royal Navy is much smaller than in the past, and some existing vessels have had to be retired before replacement ships are in place.
On the 6th of this month, after a phone call with Iranian President Pezezhkian, French President Macron wrote on social media that he had suggested considering a multi-national Strait of Hormuz escort mission led by France and the UK. That same day, the French Ministry of Defence issued a news release saying that the French Navy aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was passing through the Suez Canal heading toward the southern Red Sea, in preparation for the multi-national escort operation in the Strait of Hormuz.
