HMS Dragon Returns Home After 7 Months, Leaving Only 1 Royal Navy Ship Near Hormuz

HMS Dragon, a destroyer of the Royal Navy, arrived at its homeport in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, after its 7-month deployment to the Gulf and Mediterranean waters came to an end.

The warship was sent to the region in a hurry, while it was already undergoing repairs and maintenance as part of an international mission in the Middle East, which led to British naval bases in Cyprus becoming a target of attack.

The destroyer first sailed towards Cyprus and then to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. After its return, there is just one Royal Navy vessel close to the Strait of Hormuz, i.e., RFA Lyme Bay, which is a mine countermeasures mothership.

Gwyn Jenkins, Head of the Royal Navy, said that the crew of HMS Dragon safeguarded British interests and assets on Cyprus while working in some of the riskiest waters. He thanked them and their families for their service to the nation and for all the sacrifices made.

The operation was announced in April when French President Macron and British Prime Minister Starmer said that both countries could deploy warships to Hormuz to safeguard commercial vessels and also undertake mine clearance once a truce is reached between the U.S. and Iran.

In May, France sent a Carrier Strike Group led by FS Charles De Gaulle to the Middle East. In mid-June, HMS Dragon escorted Lyme Bay, FGS Fulda, a minehunter, and oiler FGS Mosel as they crossed the Suez Canal, with the German vessels headed for their deployment in Djibouti.

The following month, the U.S-Iran had announced a ceasefire, after which France called the carrier strike group back, though two frigates and two minehunters stayed back.

The U.K. has not announced whether another destroyer will replace Dragon in the Middle East since it has only six destroyers, of which three are currently being overhauled. The future of the mission to the Strait of Hormuz remains uncertain as the U.S-Iran war continues without a peace agreement in sight.

Ships are being attacked in the region, which has increased operating costs for shippers and caused a shortage of energy supplies around the globe. Other commodities are also being affected, and inflation is on the rise in many countries.