British destroyer HMS Dragon arrives in eastern Mediterranean

Ship arrives three weeks after Iranian-made drone hit British base of RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus HMS Dragon has arrived in the eastern Mediterranean, three weeks after an Iranian-made drone hit the British base of RAF Akrotiri, the defence secretary has said. The Type 45 destroyer will begin “operational integration into Cyprus’s defence” from Monday night, John Healey told MPs. The British government has faced criticism for the slowness to deploy a warship to the region, after moves by Greece and France to send extra naval support to Cyprus after the attack. The Cypriot government has also expressed concern that the drone was able to hit the base, suggesting that the presence of the British base on the island should now be reviewed. The vessel had been undergoing a six-week refit in Portsmouth but was made seaworthy in six days, with crews working 22-hour days. Opposition parties said the UK government should have anticipated the US-Israeli conflict with Iran and how Tehran would retaliate, and moved assets closer to the region in advance. Healey also confirmed reports over the weekend that Iran had attempted to launch two strikes on the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos