Britain has deployed the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon toward West Asia as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continue to escalate. The move comes as the UK and France discuss a possible multinational naval mission aimed at protecting global shipping routes through one of the world’s most critical trade corridors. France has already dispatched the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the region, while Iran has warned London and Paris that sending “extra-regional destroyers” could further escalate the crisis.