- UK and France to host first meeting of Defence Ministers to
advance the Strait of Hormuz multinational
mission.
- HMS Dragon to deploy to the
region, ensuring the UK has options to
safeguard the Strait of Hormuz when conditions
allow.
- The UK will outline its military contributions with
further coordinated multinational commitments to be
confirmed.
Under UK and French leadership, international partners are
expected to use tomorrow's meeting to discuss and outline their
military contributions to the defensive mission to reopen and
secure the Strait of Hormuz when conditions permit.
The Defence Secretary MP
will co-chair a meeting of over 40 nations, alongside
his French counterpart, Minister Catherine
Vautrin, for the multinational mission's first Defence
Minister's meeting.
This comes as HMS Dragon, one of the UK's most capable
warships, will forward deploy to the region, ensuring that the UK
can contribute to a future multinational mission
to secure the Strait of Hormuz and safeguard freedom of
navigation when conditions permit.
Tomorrow's meeting builds on the significant
progress made in
the last few weeks by military planners from
44 nations, spanning every continent. The UK has consistently led
the way, including hosting a meeting of military planners at
the UK's Permanent Joint Headquarters on the 22-23 April, which
was critical in converging national perspectives into a
multinational plan.
Defence Secretary MP
said:
“The UK is leading this multinational, defensive mission because
trade, energy, and economic security for working people here at
home depend on it.
“We are turning diplomatic agreement into practical military
plans to restore confidence for shipping through the Strait of
Hormuz. When I co-chair this meeting of nations from around the
world, our job will be to make sure we are not just talking, we
are ready to act.
“That is why I have directed HMS Dragon to the Middle East, so
Britain is in position to support this mission the moment it is
needed. This government will not stand by when instability drives
up costs for British families and businesses. We will give people
hope for the future by securing Britain and our national
interests.”
Tomorrow's discussions follow the
international summit convened by Prime
Minister and
President Emmanuel Macron, as well as military planning
sessions which brought together national perspectives
and potential contributions into a coherent, multinational
approach. The plan is strictly defensive and, once
conditions allow, will focus on restoring confidence for
commercial shipping along this critical trade route.
HMS Dragon could play a key role in this
mission. Equipped with the advanced Sea Viper air defence
system, HMS Dragon will provide a credible contribution to a
defensive, multinational mission. The ship's forward presence
will help strengthen confidence among commercial shippers,
support mine-clearance efforts, and protect vessels once
hostilities have ceased.
The deployment follows HMS Dragon's completion of rigorous
weapons and sensor testing at a NATO
facility off Crete, where the ship's company honed
their skills, including live firing, in realistic,
high threat conditions to ensure readiness for operations in
the region.
The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed,
disrupting international shipping including to around a fifth of
the world's oil supply. This has driven up global energy
prices, disrupted supply chains, and increased costs for
households and businesses in the UK and around the world.
