The only Royal Navy warship deployed in the conflict with Iran has ported due to maintenance issues, the Daily Mail can reveal.
In the latest saga involving HMS Dragon, the Type 45 destroyer that was sent to the warzone weeks after the fighting began is having to pull out.
The Daily Mail learned late last week that the warship was suffering issues with its water supplies affecting provisions to its sailors. The Ministry of Defence denied the claims but today admitted that HMS has sailed to a safe berth to undergo repairs.
The stop will include attending to what officials described as ‘a minor technical issue with onboard water systems’.
Defence sources insisted the crew have had access to water and catering and that a logistics stop at ‘approximately this point in her deployment’ had been planned in advance.
HMS Dragon had been despatched to protect Britain’s air bases in Cyprus, including RAF Akrotiri which was hit by a drone thought to be launched by Iranian proxy group Hezbollah in Lebanon on March 2.
A day after the attack, Keir Starmer announced the deployment of HMS Dragon – but it was a further week until the vessel left Portsmouth after a scramble to get it ready.
Sir Keir has faced significant backlash for the country’s lack of preparedness for war amid the escalating conflict with US President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth having repeatedly mocked the Royal Navy.
President Trump has described the UK’s aircraft carriers as ‘toys’ while Hegseth talked about the failure of the ‘Big Bad Royal Navy’ to enter the Strait of Hormuz.
While in port HMS Dragon’s weapons and other systems will be ‘further optimised’ allowing for what officials described as ‘greater flexibility for future deployments in the region’.
The precise location of HMS Dragon has not been disclosed for security reasons.
Today the Ministry of Defence said: ‘HMS Dragon is undertaking a routine logistics stop and a short maintenance period in the Eastern Mediterranean allowing the ship to take onboard provisions, optimise systems and conduct maintenance.
‘HMS Dragon will remain at a very high level of readiness during the period, able to sail at short notice if required.
‘The UK continues to maintain a robust and layered defensive presence in the Eastern Mediterranean working in coordination with allies. This includes Typhoon and F-35 jets, Wildcat and Merlin helicopters and advanced counter-drone and air defence systems.’
The Government faced backlash for its delay in getting HMS Dragon to set sail to the Gulf amid the escalating conflict as it did not have a single major warship in the region when the Iran war broke out on February 28.
It was further criticised when vessels from other European countries – including France and Greece – arrived in the Mediterranean within days of Iran launching retaliatory attacks across the Gulf.
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Elsewhere, the UK has urged Trump to step back from his threat to wipe out ‘a whole civilisation’ as his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz drew closer.
The US President has given Tehran until 1am on Wednesday UK time to end its blockade of the strait or face obliteration.
Downing Street again said the UK’s focus was on ‘de-escalation’ and a ‘negotiated settlement’ for the region, but Trump ratcheted up his rhetoric and the US-Israeli bombing campaign continued.
Writing on his Truth Social platform he said: ‘A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.’
But Trump, who has previously extended his deadline for action, said the ‘complete and total regime change’ in Iran had resulted in a situation where ‘different, smarter, and less radicalised minds prevail’.
He said: ‘Maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World.’
Trump has said the US will destroy Iran’s bridges and power stations, saying he was ‘not at all’ concerned that attacks on civilian infrastructure could constitute a war crime.
Asked whether the UK believed such attacks would breach international law, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘I’m not going to comment or give a running commentary on our allies’ operations.’
