Iran has accused Britain of 'escalating the crisis' in the Middle East by sending a warship to protect oil tankers when the Strait of Hormuz opens.
It comes after the Ministry of Defence confirmed on Saturday that HMS Dragon, a Type-45 destroyer, is heading to the region in advance of a potential multinational mission to safeguard shipping when the strait opens.
The warship will join a future 'defensive and independent' mission jointly led by Britain and France.
A defence source said last night: 'Dragon is a highly capable warship, so naturally she is likely to be part of our UK contribution to restoring confidence for global trade through the Strait.'
However Iran has now accused Britain of 'escalating the crisis' while the US awaits the regime's response to its 'peace plan'.
On Sunday afternoon, Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, said in statement: 'France has announced that it has dispatched the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle towards the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to prepare for a future joint mission between Paris and London aimed at strengthening freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
'Meanwhile, the British government has also announced that, in coordination with France, it will send one of its warships to the Red Sea.
Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon will 'pre-position' in the region, ready to join the UK and French-led initiative once hostilities cease between Iran and US-Israeli forces
HMS Dragon is seen pulling off sharp evasive manoeuvres during an exercise on April 25, 2026
Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, (pictured) warned that British ships in the region 'will be met with a decisive and immediate response from the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran'
'Any deployment and stationing of extra-regional destroyers around the Strait of Hormuz, under the pretext of "protecting shipping," is nothing but an escalation of the crisis, the militarisation of a vital waterway, and an attempt to cover up the true root of insecurity in the region.
'Maritime security cannot be ensured through displays of military might; especially not by actors who, through their support, participation, or silence in the face of aggression and siege, are themselves part of the problems.'
Mr Gharibabadi accused Britain and France of showing 'disregard for the United Nations Charter' and reiterated the regime's sovereignty claims over the Strait of Hormuz, saying the waterway is 'not common property for extra-regional powers'.
He added: 'It should be noted that the presence of French and British ships, or those of any other country potentially coordinating with America's unlawful and internationally illegal actions in the Strait of Hormuz, will be met with a decisive and immediate response from the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
'Therefore, they are strongly advised not to complicate the situation further.'
The narrow Strait of Hormuz, which runs between Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, has been closed since the start of the war between the US and Iran in February.
Before the conflict one-fifth of the world's oil and gas typically passed through it.
But it has remained closed while Washington awaits Tehran's response to its latest proposal to end the war.
HMS Dragon had been operating as part of a mission to provide air defence to sovereign British territory, including RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus
However it has been reported today that Iran has now responded to US President Donald Trump's 'peace plan'.
Iran's IRNA news agency reports that the regime told Pakistani mediators on Sunday afternoon: 'The current phase of negotiations is focused exclusively on the cessation of hostilities in the region.
Esmaeil Baqaei, the regime's foreign ministry spokesperson, reportedly told local media: 'For now, we have decided to focus on ending the war, because this issue is a matter of concern for the entire region, for our nation, and for the international community.'
It follows concerns over whether the tenuous month-old ceasefire between the US and Iran would hold after the regime.
Tehran openly accused Washington of breaking the ceasefire on Friday after US fighter jets conducted airstrikes on two 'massive' Iranian oil tankers on Friday after they allegedly attempted to breach Mr Trump's blockade.
Footage showed thick black plumes of smoke billowing from the ships after their smokestacks were bombed in the attack, bringing them to a halt.
The strikes came after reports of clashes between Iranian and US forces in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
The US military said its forces had disabled two Iranian tankers that were trying to breach an American blockade of Iran's ports.
Footage shows thick black plumes of smoke billowing from the ships after they were struck on Friday
The vessels were brought to a halt after their smokestacks were hit in the attack, according to US Central Command
Hours earlier, the military said it had thwarted attacks on three US Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and struck Iranian military facilities in the waterway.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that he hoped to receive 'a serious offer' from Iran in response to Washington's latest proposals.
'They threaten Americans, they are going to be blown up,' he told reporters.
Iran's foreign ministry condemned what it called 'hostile' military action, accusing the US of violating the ceasefire.
HMS Dragon had been undergoing weapons testing off Crete before the MoD confirmed it had been sent to the Middle East to safeguard shipping once the Strait of Hormuz reopens.
The destroyer, which has a 285-strong crew and is equipped with the Sea Viper guided missile air defence system, was deployed to Cyprus after RAF Akrotiri was hit by an Iranian-made drone on the second day of the war.
However, it took three weeks to arrive. And last month it had to return to port for maintenance amid reports its fresh water system had broken down.
One of six Type-45 destroyers, HMS Dragon joins France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier group, which was sent to the Persian Gulf on Wednesday.
An MoD spokesman previously said: 'We can confirm that HMS Dragon will deploy to the Middle East ahead of any future multinational mission to protect international shipping when conditions allow them to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
'The pre-positioning of HMS Dragon is part of prudent planning that will ensure that the UK is ready, as part of a multinational coalition jointly led by the UK and France, to secure the strait, when conditions allow.'
HMS Dragon's primary role is air defence, protecting other ships by detecting and neutralising threats using the Sea Viper missile system.
This includes drones, aircraft and missiles that could be launched by hostile actors such as Iran-backed groups or regional adversaries.
The ship first left Portsmouth on March 10, a week after being ordered to prepare for deployment to the Mediterranean.
But there was backlash after the ship didn't reach its destination until weeks after the conflict in the Middle East broke out at the end of February, with criticisms over the British Armed Forces' lack of preparedness for major conflict.
The destroyer was then beset with issues and had to undergo urgent repairs to fix a water supply issue that was affecting water provided to sailors.
The MoD said that Cyprus would still remain well-defended as the ship leaves, as capabilities have been boosted on the island since the start of the conflict.
Crew members board the HMS Dragon during ammunitioning operations in Portsmouth Harbour on March 4
The ship is equipped with the Sea Viper missile system and is supported by Wildcat helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron armed with Martlet missiles.
HMS Dragon's deployment comes a month after Mr Trump criticised 'useless' Nato allies and warned them to stay away from the strait.
It was the latest in a series of attacks aimed at Sir Keir Starmer, who had refused to send mine-clearing ships to the area to support the US and Israel.
Mr Trump also criticised the Prime Minister over his decision to only allow the US to use British bases in a 'defensive' capacity.
The US President had previously mocked Mr Starmer over this decision, saying he was 'no Winston Churchill'.
The proposed mission in the strait, championed by the Prime Minister and French president Emmanuel Macron, would involve a coalition of nations willing to ensure freedom of navigation.
Last month the destroyer carried out a dramatic training exercise which saw it practise dodging incoming missiles.
The exercise on April 25 saw it pull off sharp turns and crew scramble into their gear in drills which rehearsed for ballistic missile attacks.
The Royal Navy said the 'high speed manoeuvres' formed part of training to ensure HMS Dragon remains ready for operations, adding the ship is conducting a range of drills to maintain operational readiness.
The decision to move HMS Dragon from the eastern Mediterranean, where it had been defending British bases on Cyprus, will allow the destroyer to contribute immediately should the defensive mission in the strait be launched.