(Bloomberg) — The United Kingdom will deploy one of its warships to the Middle East as part of planning for a European-led mission to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz once a stable ceasefire is in place.
HMS Dragon, a Type 45 warship capable of destroying cruise missiles, is likely to form part of the UK’s bid for a maritime defense mission to calm commercial ships attempting to navigate the waterway. Such a mission will only begin after a permanent ceasefire or peace agreement is agreed upon.
“The pre-positioning of HMS Dragon is part of prudent planning to ensure that the UK is ready as part of a multinational coalition jointly led by the UK and France to secure the Straits when conditions allow,” a UK Ministry of Defense spokesman said.
The move comes as Iran considers a new US proposal to end the 10-week war. The ship had just completed testing a weapons system off the coast of Crete and was deployed to help defend Cyprus at the start of the conflict.
More than 40 countries are involved in planning a UK-French military mission, with another meeting due to take place next week. A number of countries are expected to offer demining, escort and air policing capabilities.
France recently announced that it had moved its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle into the Red Sea, signaling that the coalition is ready to secure the strait.
The US is waiting for Iran’s response after the clashes with the Hormuz ceasefire
Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally flows, after the war erupted with US and Israeli strikes in late February. The US has since imposed a naval blockade.
Despite a ceasefire between the two pairs, there have been clashes in the strait this week, with US forces carrying out airstrikes on two empty Iranian oil tankers. They were trying to break the blockade and enter one of the country’s ports, US Central Command announced on Friday.
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