The HMS Dragon travels in the Mediterranean Sea en route to Cyprus on March 25, 2026. (Lt Thacker-Pugsley/UK Ministry of Defense Crown copyright 2026)
A British warship deployed to help defend U.K. bases and allied interests in the eastern Mediterranean Sea amid tensions with Iran has pulled into port for maintenance.
The destroyer HMS Dragon, built for air and missile defense, experienced a “minor technical issue” with its onboard water system, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in a statement Tuesday, the BBC reported.
The setback comes two days after the United States and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire and follows criticism from the White House that the U.K. did not respond quickly enough to the crisis.
President Donald Trump has called on the U.K. and other European allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route between Iran, the UAE and Oman where about 20% of the world’s daily oil supply traditionally passes.
As a result of the U.S.-Israeli strikes, Iran has restricted ship traffic through the waterway, which has led to higher global oil prices.
A YouGov poll conducted in mid-March showed that 70% of U.K. voters opposed joining U.S. military action, with 57% saying Trump was wrong to strike Iran.
Dragon was deployed to the region on March 10 along with “drone-busting” Wildcat helicopters after an Iranian-made drone struck RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
The deployment is part of Britain’s response to wider hostilities that escalated after U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran began on Feb. 28. The ship’s crew of about 200 remains on standby and can sail on short notice if required, the ministry said.
It described Dragon as “one of the most capable air defense warships in the world,” equipped with the Sea Viper missile system, which can launch eight missiles in under 10 seconds and guide multiple interceptors simultaneously.
The ministry has not specified how long the ship will remain in port, but described the stop as a short maintenance period.
While the U.K. did not join the initial U.S. and Israeli strikes, it has allowed U.S. forces to use bases including RAF Fairford and Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia for operations.
Other NATO allies have taken a more restrictive approach, with Spain limiting U.S. military flights and Italy denying use of bases for Iran-related missions.
