LONDON

The UK has stepped up its military presence in the eastern Mediterranean, with the defense secretary confirming that the warship HMS Dragon has arrived near the island of Cyprus – where Britain has two bases – and will begin defense operations tonight.

In a statement to MPs on Monday, John Healey said the vessel would join efforts to strengthen the island’s defense alongside allied forces already in the region.

Royal Air Force and Navy pilots have now racked up nearly 900 flying hours in defense of the island as well as “Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. We have more jets in the region than at any time in the last 15 years," he said.

There are an extra 500 air defense personnel on the island, he said, and as more military capabilities are committed to the Eastern Mediterranean, the UK is working closely with the Greek Cypriot Administration to coordinate the contribution of allies, including the US, France, and Greece, to reinforce security there.

The HMS Dragon warship is equipped with the Sea Viper missile system designed to detect and intercept airborne threats. It will also operate with Wildcat helicopters from the Royal Navy’s 815 Naval Air Squadron, armed with Martlet missiles capable of targeting drones.

British aircraft have already been involved in defensive operations. Officials said Royal Air Force Typhoon and F-35 jets shot down several drones over countries, including Jordan, and near coalition forces in Iraq.

Regional escalation has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, so far killing over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.