BLOG Britain sends warship to Middle East for potential mission

The Qatari LNG tanker Al Haraijtiat was sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday after setting sail from Ras Laffan en route to Port Qasim in Pakistan, according to LSEG shipping traffic data.

A successful passage would mark the first transit of a Qatari LNG tanker through the strait since the start of the Iran-Iraq war. QatarEnergy was not immediately available for comment.

Britain is sending its warship HMS Dragon to the Middle East in preparation for a potential multinational mission to protect maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

Britain said on Saturday it was sending its warship HMS Dragon to the Middle East in preparation for a potential multinational mission to protect maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, when possible.

HMS Dragon, an air defense destroyer, was sent to the Eastern Mediterranean in March, just after the start of the Iran War, to help defend Cyprus.

Its move to the Middle East comes after France decided to send its aircraft carrier group to the southern Red Strait, as the two countries work together on a defense plan aimed at restoring confidence in trade routes.

"The repositioning of HMS Dragon is part of prudent planning that will ensure the UK is ready, as part of a multinational coalition led jointly by the UK and France, to secure the Straits when possible," a British Ministry of Defence spokesman said.

As the US and Iran press towards a possible exit from their ten-week war, France and Britain are working on a proposal that would lay the groundwork for safe passage through the Strait once the situation stabilizes.

The plan would require coordination with Iran, and twelve countries have already expressed their willingness to participate.

Britain's ability to participate in any protective mission will be limited by the overstretched Royal Navy, which is now much smaller than before and has had to withdraw some ships before new ones became available.

The US Treasury Department has announced sanctions against 10 individuals and companies, including several from China and Hong Kong, for aiding the Iranian military's efforts to acquire weapons and raw materials used to build Tehran's "Shahed" drones.

The Treasury Department's move, first reported by Reuters, comes days before US President Donald Trump plans to travel to China to meet with President Xi Jinping, as efforts to end the Iran war stall.