The British warship Dragon has arrived in the eastern Mediterranean and will begin integrating into Cyprus's air and maritime defences, more than three weeks after conflict with Iran escalated. Defence Secretary John Healey told Members of Parliament that the destroyer reached the region after sailing from Portsmouth, following criticism that Britain had no major naval presence when hostilities began.

Concerns intensified after a drone struck the Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri on 2 March, causing minor damage. The drone, believed to have been launched by the Lebanese group Hezbollah, exposed vulnerabilities in Britain’s regional posture. Other European nations, including France and Greece, deployed naval assets more rapidly in response to Iranian retaliation across the Gulf.

Healey said British aircraft have flown nearly 900 hours defending partners including Cyprus and several Gulf states, with additional air defence personnel deployed to the island. He also confirmed that two Iranian missiles were fired toward the joint British and United States base on Diego Garcia but did not reach their target.

The government condemned Iran’s actions and warned that mining and attacks in the Strait of Hormuz threaten commercial shipping. Britain is increasing military planning support, accelerating minehunting and drone technology, and coordinating closely with allies to safeguard freedom of navigation and reinforce Cyprus's security.