LONDON 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Tuesday that the UK will send a Royal Navy warship to the eastern Mediterranean to help protect a British air base on the Greek Cypriot Administration after it was hit by a drone.

Starmer confirmed reports earlier that the HMS Dragon destroyer would sail to strengthen security around RAF Akrotiri, a key British military base on the southernmost part of the island.

The move follows criticism from the Greek Cypriot Administration, led by President Nikos Christodoulides, about whether there was enough air defense on the island as fighting in the Middle East intensifies.

A drone struck the runway on Monday at RAF Akrotiri. The UK Ministry of Defense said damage was “minimal.”

Starmer said he had spoken to Christodoulides to inform him that the UK was also “sending helicopters with counter drone capabilities” to the Greek Cypriot Administration.

The BBC said the Royal Navy has six Type 45 destroyers, but only three are currently ready for operations. The HMS Dragon will leave its home port of Portsmouth late Tuesday.

The UK does not have any other major warship in the Mediterranean at the moment.

The government said RAF Akrotiri already has ground-based air defense systems, radar and F-35 fighter jets.

On Tuesday, Downing Street said it had sent a “significant level of defensive capability” to the base after the US and Israel launched a large-scale attack Saturday against Iran, killing several top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran has responded with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and US-linked sites in Gulf countries.

France has also signaled it may move air defense systems to the region.

Although the conflict in the region is now in its fourth day, no major Royal Navy warships are currently operating in or have been sent to the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump has vowed to destroy Iran's missiles, raze its missile industry to the ground, and annihilate the navy, reiterating that it cannot have a nuclear weapon.

The strikes came as talks between Washington and Tehran about Iran’s nuclear program were ongoing under Omani mediation.