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The UK's HMS Dragon warship heads tor the Middle East on May 11, 2026, with a potential mission shift to the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Royal Navy/X
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Kingdom will deploy fighter jets, warships, autonomous mine-hunting equipment, and "cutting-edge counter-drone systems” in the Strait of Hormuz as part of a “multinational mission” involving over 40 countries to restore freedom of navigation in the waterway, the British defense ministry said on Tuesday.
The UK package includes Typhoon jets for air patrol, the HMS Dragon warship equipped with the Sea Viper counter-drone system, autonomous mine-hunting equipment, mine-clearance specialists, and “autonomous Kraken drone boats” that could enable the multinational force to “sense, track, and identify potential threats and defeat them,” the ministry detailed in a statement.
Defense Secretary John Healey said the deployment demonstrates the UK’s “strong and clear commitments to strengthen the confidence of commercial shipping and reduce the burden of the conflict on people at home.”
“With our allies, this multinational mission will be defensive, independent, and credible,” he added.
The statement also added that the approved military support complements “the UK’s existing defensive operations in the region, with over 1,000 UK personnel across the region, including counter-drone teams and fast jet squadrons, which have played an important role in protecting British nationals and our partners in the region.”
The defensive mission “would become operational when conditions allow,” it said.
The remarks were released after a virtual summit that brought together defense ministers of the 40-member international force formed in mid-April and co-led by France and the UK. Other European and Gulf countries are also members of the force.
France has previously positioned the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the Red Sea, but has repeatedly argued that its mission is “strictly defensive.”
The Strait of Hormuz has remained a primary flashpoint during and after the 40-day war that began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched a wide scale aerial campaign targeting thousands of sites across Iran.
The warring sides agreed to a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire on April 8, halting the fighting and paving the way for negotiations. While the first round of talks ended on April 11 without a final agreement, a second round has yet to take place, leaving a broader resolution pending.
In parallel with the diplomatic efforts, Iran and the US have engaged in tit-for-tat maritime measures. Tehran has tightened its grip on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington initiated a maritime blockade on Iranian ports on April 13.
Earlier in the week, the American website Axios reported that Washington and Tehran are moving closer to agreeing on a one-page memorandum of understanding that could end hostilities and establish a framework for broader nuclear talks.
However, US President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that “the ceasefire is on massive life support, where the doctor walks in and says, 'Sir, your loved one has approximately a one percent chance of living.”
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