UK and France set to host multinational Strait of Hormuz meeting as British Warship to pre-position in the region

12th May 2026

UK and France to host first meeting of Defence Ministers to advance the Strait of Hormuz multinational mission. This comes as HMS Dragon, one of the UK’s most capable warships, will forward deploy to the region.

• 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 John Healey 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 John Healey 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 Keir Starmer 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.

PHOTO
By Photo: LA(Phot) Nicky Wilson/MOD, OGL v1.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26916616

Note
On 3 March 2026, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that HMS Dragon would be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to reinforce security around RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.[51] The deployment followed a Shahed-136 drone strike shortly after midnight on 2 March 2026 that caused minor damage to a hangar during the Iran war.[52][53][54] Accompanied by three Wildcat helicopters, armed with Martlet missiles, and a Merlin helicopter that were airlifted separately, the destroyer was tasked with strengthening air defences against drone threats.[55] HMS Dragon departed Portsmouth for Cyprus on 10 March 2026 after rapid preparations following a period in dry dock, with the crew recalled and the usual six weeks of maintenance, weapons loading, and system checks completed in six days.