London: The British warship HMS Dragon departed for the eastern Mediterranean on Tuesday, more than a week after a British air base in Cyprus was attacked by a drone in the wake of strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran.
The British government has been criticized for not being able to send a warship to the region sooner, with military vessels from allies Greece and France arriving within days of Iran launching retaliatory attacks across the Persian Gulf.
On March 1, RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was hit by an Iranian-made drone believed to have been launched from Lebanon or Iraq.
The decision to deploy the destroyer was made a week ago, but it took days to prepare for the trip, adding to the scrutiny of Britain’s military preparedness.
The government defended its response, saying it had pre-deployed additional assets to the region, including radar systems, air defenses and F-35 fighter jets.
HMS Dragon is a Type 45 air defense destroyer equipped with the Sea Viper missile system and advanced radar designed to track and neutralize air threats, according to the Royal Navy website.
The government also cited its close cooperation with the United States in preparing for and responding to the conflict, despite criticism from Trump about British support.
Trump criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer for cutting Britain’s military support for strikes on Iran, plunging relations between the historically close military allies into crisis.
Starmer allowed the US to use British bases for defensive actions, but said he would not approve UK involvement in offensive actions unless he was sure they were legal and part of a clear plan.
(Reporting by William James; Editing by Alistair Smout)
