Britain sends a destroyer to the Strait of Hormuz area. Preparations for a joint Franco-British intervention
A military vessel from the British naval forces is heading to the Middle East to be prepared to join an international mission to protect navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, reported AFP and DPA on Saturday, quoted by Agerpres.
“This pre-positioning of HMS Dragon is part of rigorous planning aimed at ensuring that the United Kingdom is ready, within a multinational coalition led jointly by the United Kingdom and France, to secure the Straits when conditions permit,” the British Ministry of Defense said.
A ceasefire is in effect in the region, although on Friday US forces attacked two Iranian oil tankers trying to break the blockade imposed by US President Donald Trump.
The mission proposed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron will involve a coalition of countries that want to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for the global transport of oil and gas.
The decision to move HMS Dragon from the Eastern Mediterranean, where it was defending British military bases in Cyprus, will allow this destroyer to contribute to the defense mission of the Strait of Hormuz immediately after its launch, a spokesman for the British Ministry of Defense said.
