Britain Sends Mine-Sweepers to Hormuz, Preparing for Contested Waters

The UK is deploying HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, with mine-countermeasures vessels for the Franco-British mission through the Strait of Hormuz. The inclusion of mine-sweeping capability signals planners expect resistance—Iran has demonstrated capacity to mine the waterway since the 1980s. One-fifth of global oil flows through this strait. The approach suggests a coalition preparing for contested passage, not a routine escort.