U.K. warship heads to Middle East for potential Strait of Hormuz mission

The HMS Dragon, a vessel in the U.K.'s Royal Fleet, is being deployed to the Middle East to "pre-position ahead of any future multinational mission to protect international shipping when conditions allow them to transit the Strait of Hormuz," a Ministry of Defense spokesperson said Saturday. 

"The pre-positioning of HMS Dragon is part of prudent planning that will ensure that the UK is ready, as part of a multinational coalition jointly led by the UK and France, to secure the Strait, when conditions allow," the spokesperson added. 

The deployment is part of the U.K.'s commitment to a defensive, multinational mission to strengthen the confidence of commercial shipping in the waterway, the agency said. Britain and France have led planning meetings involving several dozen countries on a coalition to reestablish freedom of navigation in the strait. But they stress it won't start until there is a sustainable ceasefire and the maritime industry is reassured ships can go through the strait safely.

CBS