A British warship fled the battlefield after being hit by Iranian weapons

The HMS Dragon (pictured on March 4) which is currently deployed in the conflict with Iran has ported due to maintenance issues

The only Royal Navy warship deployed in the conflict with Iran has ported due to maintenance issues, the Daily Mail can reveal.

In the latest saga involving HMS Dragon, the Type 45 destroyer that was sent to the warzone weeks after the fighting began is having to pull out.

The Daily Mail learned late last week that the warship was suffering issues with its water supplies affecting provisions to its sailors. The Ministry of Defence denied the claims but today admitted that HMS has sailed to a safe berth to undergo repairs.

The stop will include attending to what officials described as 'a minor technical issue with onboard water systems'.

Defence sources insisted the crew have had access to water and catering and that a logistics stop at 'approximately this point in her deployment' had been planned in advance.

HMS Dragon had been despatched to protect Britain's air bases in Cyprus, including RAF Akrotiri which was hit by a drone thought to be launched by Iranian proxy group Hezbollah in Lebanon on March 2.

A day after the attack, Keir Starmer announced the deployment of HMS Dragon - but it was a further week until the vessel left Portsmouth after a scramble to get it ready.

Sir Keir has faced significant backlash for the country's lack of preparedness for war amid the escalating conflict with US President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth having repeatedly mocked the Royal Navy.

President Trump has described the UK's aircraft carriers as 'toys' while Hegseth talked about the failure of the 'Big Bad Royal Navy' to enter the Strait of Hormuz.

While in port HMS Dragon's weapons and other systems will be 'further optimised' allowing for what officials described as 'greater flexibility for future deployments in the region'.

The precise location of HMS Dragon has not been disclosed for security reasons.

The Ministry of Defence said: “HMS Dragon is undertaking a routine logistics stop and a short maintenance period in the Eastern Mediterranean allowing the ship to take onboard provisions, optimise systems and conduct maintenance. HMS Dragon will remain at a very high level of readiness during the period, able to sail at short notice if required.”

read more in our Telegram-channel https://t.me/The_International_Affairs