Starmer deploys HMS Dragon to Middle East as Trump warns Iran it’s ‘too late’ for talks
Sir Keir Starmer is set to deploy the HMS Dragon warship to the Middle East in a bid to greatly increase Britain’s role in the intensifying US-Iran conflict.
The dramatic move comes after one of Britain’s military bases in Cyprus was attacked by an Iranian drone on Sunday night, and the Greek Navy carried out similar maneuvers to protect the Mediterranean island on Monday.
In a statement, the Prime Minister said: “The United Kingdom is fully committed to the security of Cyprus and the British military personnel based there.
“We continue our defense operations and I have just spoken to the President of Cyprus and informed him that we are sending helicopters with drone capabilities against him and that HMS Dragon will be deployed to the region. We will always act in the interests of the UK and our allies.”
This follows Donald Trump’s warning to Iran that it is “too late” for negotiations, as he continues to launch further attacks on the theocratic state in a bid to thwart its attempts to develop nuclear weapons.
The government also announced plans for charter flights to evacuate British nationals captured in the Gulf countries; foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said 130,000 people had already registered with the Foreign Office (FCDO).
The deployment of the warship is the latest step in the UK’s draw into a conflict that began when the US and Israel launched missile attacks on Iran on Saturday, eliminating the country’s leadership, including Ayatollah Khamenei, and key military assets.
Sir Keir resisted calls for Britain to join the strikes and initially blocked the US from using RAF bases to launch attacks. But over the weekend it was forced to take RAF aircraft into the skies to defend British assets and regional allies, and later allowed the US to use British bases for defensive measures.
Now he is about to send one of Britain’s most advanced warships and some are questioning why it is not in Cyprus. The last time the UK deployed a Royal Navy ship to a conflict in which it was not directly involved was in 2023, when the Commonwealth state of Guyana was threatened by Venezuela.
Decision expected to be sent HMS Dragon follows criticism over the lack of air defense in the region, with the Iranian regime threatening to open the “gates of hell” to the United States and Israel following attacks on Tehran on Saturday.
The US has also threatened a new wave of air strikes on Iran, saying it plans to further escalate the conflict and warning that the “hardest blows” are yet to come.
But Sir Keir’s handling of the crisis still faces intense criticism from opposition parties and President Trump, who used a second interview overnight to express his disappointment with the British prime minister.
President Trump told Sun She said she was “very saddened” to find that her relationship with Sir Keir was “obviously not what it used to be”.
Mr Trump added: “It didn’t help at all. I never thought I’d see this. I never thought I’d see this from the UK. We love the UK.”
The Prime Minister insisted the Special Relationship between the UK and the US remains strong and told MPs on Monday: “I stand by my decision.”
Sending schedule HMS Dragon It was studied because the ship is at the cutting edge of shooting down unmanned aerial vehicles.
The ship, based at the naval base in Portsmouth, was in dry dock for repairs but had previously served in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. Its last major operation, named after the Welsh dragon, took place in May 2025 to take part in NATO’s Awesome Shield; Europe’s largest naval live-fire exercise.
The destroyer has a crew of 200, including sailors, technicians and weapons experts, and is captained by Commander Iain Giffin. It carries two helicopters and has a variety of weapons, anti-ship and air defense missiles, as well as electronic warfare equipment.
Shadow defense secretary James Cartlidge questioned why it had taken Sir Keir so long to decide to send a warship.
He said: “This begs the question: why wasn’t he there already?”
Conservative MP Gavin Williamson, the former defense secretary, posted on
But Ms Cooper said the government had already added to air defenses in Cyprus.
“We have already increased deployment with additional defense capabilities, including radar, F-35 jets, air defense and counter-drone systems,” he said.
It comes after a drone crashed into RAF Akrotiri shortly after midnight on Monday, causing minor damage to an aircraft hangar. Two other drones were intercepted by British warplanes around noon on Monday after escaping from the airbase.
Senior Cypriot officials say the attack was carried out by an Iranian Shahid drone and was likely fired by the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The semi-official Cyprus News Agency reported that France plans to send air defense systems to Cyprus and may send anti-missile and anti-drone systems to the country, as well as a frigate.
Cypriot government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis mentioned the possibility of French support on Monday. He said French President Emmanuel Macron and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides had a telephone conversation “in the context of strengthening the precautionary measures taken.”
