UK defence ministry announced HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, will be pre‑positioned in the eastern Mediterranean for mission to secure Hormuz Strait.
Operation is UK‑ and France‑led, awaiting safe passage conditions amid renewed US‑Iran tensions and a pending ceasefire response.
Strait of Hormuz carries about one‑fifth of oil trade; disruptions raise fears as US Secretary Marco Rubio expects an imminent Iranian reply.