The United Kingdom’s only warship deployed to the eastern Mediterranean during the Iran conflict has been forced into port over a «technical» issue, abruptly sidelining a key piece of Britain’s regional military presence as pressure mounts on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s handling of the crisis.

The docking of HMS Dragon — a Type 45 destroyer tasked with defending U.K. assets and projecting force near the conflict zone — weakens Britain’s visible military posture at a sensitive moment, as a fragile U.S.-brokered pause takes hold and criticism from Trump administration officials and conservative voices builds over delays and restrictions that they say damaged London’s credibility with allies.

HMS Dragon was facing issues with its «onboard water systems,» which impacted water provisions for sailors on board, The Daily Mail first reported.

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«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,» the Ministry of Defence said in a statement to the outlet.

The UK’s Ministry of Defence said in a statement to the Daily Mail that if necessary the ship will be «able to sail at short notice.»

«The UK continues to maintain a robust and layered defensive presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, working in coordination with allies. This includes Typhoon and F-35 jets, Wildcat and Merlin helicopters, and advanced counter-drone and air defence systems.»

While the Iran war began on February 28, the UK did not announce the deployment of HMS Dragon to protect its air bases in Cyprus until five days later. The announcement came a day after Iranian-backed militia group Hezbollah struck RAF Akrotiri, one of the United Kingdom’s air bases in Cyprus. HMS Dragon did not depart from Portsmouth, England, until March 10 — a week after Starmer’s announcement.

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The Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon is seen moored in the Royal Navy Dockyard on Oct. 28, 2024 in Portsmouth, England. Keir Starmer confirmed Tuesday, March 3, 2026, that the HMS Dragon will be deployed in Cyprus. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Trump and Starmer have been at odds since the conflict’s onset. While the United Kingdom has allowed the U.S. military to operate out of those bases, Starmer restricted the U.S. military from carrying out offensive missions from its bases. Trump compared Starmer’s approach to Iran to former United Kingdom Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who adopted an appeasement policy toward Nazi Germany during World War II.

During a press briefing, Hegseth on Wednesday called on «so-called allies,» referring to the United Kingdom, to «take notes» on what the U.S. and Israel accomplished.

Criticism of Starmer’s handling of Iran is also coming from United Kingdom Shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly, a member of the Tory Party who is also a military reserve officer. Cleverly scrutinized Starmer’s decision to visit the Middle East after the ceasefire was brokered in an interview with GB News.

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«He was opposing the United States using their own aircraft from British bases. Then he was in favour of it. He delayed the decision to deploy British naval assets,» Cleverly said.

«He left British military personnel and our allies in the region not properly defended, and now he’s finally engaging properly with this situation,» Cleverly continued.

He claimed that Starmer’s conduct had cost the country «credibility on the world stage.»

TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND – JULY 28: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) at Trump Turnberry golf club on July 28, 2025 in Turnberry, Scotland. U.S. President Donald Trump is visiting his Trump Turnberry golf course, as well as Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire, during a brief visit to Scotland from July 25 to 29. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

«I know a lot of our friends and allies in the region and beyond are very disappointed in Britain’s response. And that is entirely because of decisions that Keir Starmer failed to make,» Cleverly said.

British journalist Patrick Chrysty, host of GB News, also criticized the United Kingdom’s efforts in the Iran war. He called Secretary of Defence John Healey a «bumbling idiot.»

«It took us a month to get HMS Dragon to Cyprus after Iranian backed terror group Hezbollah attacked our military base there … And right as the world holds its breath, HMS Dragon has a fault with its fresh water supply. It’s gone to dock for repairs. It’s out of action. This is an abomination!»

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Dr. John Hemmings, Director of the National Security Centre, Henry Jackson Society said in a statement to Fox News Digital that Starmer’s visit to the Gulf is his way of showing the United Kingdom is in support of Western allies’ efforts in Iran.

«UK Prime Minister Starmer’s trip to the Persian Gulf shows the pressure he is under to «fly the flag» and it’s clear that he’s trying to use Britain’s traditional networks and connections amongst the Gulf Arabs. In some ways, the Starmer team’s behind-the-scenes mediation strengths were proven in the Hamas-Israel peace deal with Jonathan Powell leading,

«This time, Yvette Cooper at the FCDO has been in the lead, running a virtual meeting of over 40 countries to coordinate a response to Iran’s blockade in early April.»

Fox News Digital reached out to the UK’s Ministry of Defence for comment.

La Asociación de Pediatría de El Salvador ha emitido recomendaciones a la población en general frente al riesgo elevado de casos importados de sarampión, una preocupación que cobra especial relevancia tras el reciente incremento en la movilidad internacional registrado durante las vacaciones de Semana Santa. El comunicado de la Asociación detalla que, según reportes internacionales, existen brotes activos de sarampión en países como Estados Unidos, Guatemala y México, lo que incrementa la posibilidad de ingreso de casos al territorio salvadoreño, especialmente a través de personas que han viajado recientemente o provienen del extranjero.

En su comunicado, la Asociación de Pediatría subraya la importancia de reforzar la vigilancia clínica, instando al personal sanitario a prestar especial atención a pacientes con fiebre, exantema maculopapular y síntomas respiratorios como tos, coriza y conjuntivitis, sobre todo si presentan antecedentes de viaje o contacto con personas extranjeras. La institución recalca la necesidad de verificar el esquema de vacunación de todos los niños, en particular aquellos mayores de un año que aún no han recibido la primera o segunda dosis de la vacuna triple viral (SRP), ya que la inmunización es la principal barrera para evitar brotes explosivos en poblaciones susceptibles.

La Asociación también exhorta a los pediatras a educar a los padres sobre la importancia de mantener al día el esquema de vacunación, enfatizando la prevención antes de realizar viajes internacionales. Además, recuerda la obligación de realizar la notificación inmediata de cualquier caso sospechoso al Ministerio de Salud, a través del correo electrónico vigeps@salud.gob.sv o al teléfono 2591-7162, dado que el sarampión es una enfermedad de notificación obligatoria e inmediata en El Salvador.

El comunicado concluye recordando que el sarampión, aunque prevenible mediante vacunación, es altamente contagioso y puede generar brotes explosivos si no se toman las medidas adecuadas a tiempo. La consulta pediátrica, señala la Asociación, constituye la primera línea de defensa frente a la introducción de casos importados.

Récord de visitantes internacionales durante Semana Santa

El contexto de estas recomendaciones cobra importancia tras el aumento en la llegada de turistas internacionales, especialmente de países con brotes activos de sarampión. Según cifras oficiales brindadas por la ministra de Turismo, Morena Valdez, El Salvador alcanzó un récord histórico durante la Semana Santa de 2026, recibiendo 208,000 visitantes extranjeros entre el 28 de marzo y el 5 de abril, lo que representa un incremento del 50% en comparación con el mismo período del año anterior.

De acuerdo con la ministra Valdez, el 54% de estos turistas provino de Guatemala, seguido por Honduras con un 19% y Estados Unidos con un 17%. El flujo de visitantes de Guatemala y Estados Unidos es especialmente relevante, ya que ambos países han reportado casos confirmados de sarampión en los últimos meses.

Llamado a la prevención y acción coordinada

El aumento sin precedentes en la movilidad internacional refuerza la necesidad de mantener la alerta sanitaria y de fortalecer las acciones preventivas, tanto en la consulta pediátrica como en la vigilancia epidemiológica. La Asociación de Pediatría de El Salvador insiste en que la colaboración entre profesionales de la salud, autoridades y familias es esencial para evitar la reintroducción y propagación del sarampión en el país. La verificación de esquemas de vacunación, la notificación oportuna de casos sospechosos y la educación continua sobre la importancia de la inmunización son, según los expertos, herramientas clave para proteger a la población infantil y general frente a una posible emergencia sanitaria.

A federal judge declined to block the Trump administration’s Medicaid funding deferral to Minnesota, finding the state’s challenge was premature and giving the White House a temporary legal win as it expands its anti-fraud push.

Judge Eric Tostrud, an appointee of President Donald Trump, concluded this week that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services could, for now, withhold more than $259 million in Medicaid funds from Minnesota and require the state to provide piecemeal evidence that Medicaid reimbursements were legitimate before receiving them. 

The order was a boon to the Trump administration’s new, aggressive anti-fraud campaign that was largely spurred by a recent multimillion-dollar welfare fraud scandal in Minnesota.

Tostrud said in a 42-page order that Minnesota’s lawsuit challenging the deferral was premature and that a preliminary injunction was unwarranted for numerous reasons.

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«Some of the legal theories Minnesota asserts are novel, and the law does not support them,» Tostrud said.

The White House announced an anti-fraud task force in March, saying in an executive order that «staggering fraud and waste in Minnesota alone is a case in point.» Trump tapped Vice President JD Vance as the fraud czar, and the task force has taken a multi-agency approach to its crackdown.

CMS, led by Administrator Mehmet Oz, was enlisted to be more proactive with Medicaid by temporarily withholding reimbursements to states over potential instances of fraud rather than proven fraud. In addition to Minnesota, CMS is also eyeing Medicaid deferrals in California, New York and Maine, meaning more litigation could arise and lead to federal judges across the country weighing in and a potential escalation to higher courts.

Minnesota’s notorious $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scandal first broke onto the national radar in 2022 and drew renewed national attention in 2025 as convictions piled up and the state became a flashpoint in the broader fight over public-benefits fraud.

A state-commissioned review of Minnesota’s Medicaid program report became a major flashpoint this year in the Trump administration’s broader «war on fraud.» The report highlighted vulnerabilities in 14 «high-risk» Medicaid services during a four-year period and flagged that $1.7 billion could have been «potentially improper.»

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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison testifies before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Feb. 12, 2026. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In the state’s lawsuit against the Trump administration and CMS, Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison alleged that «the federal government has … weaponized Medicaid against Minnesota as political punishment» in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act and due process under the Constitution.

«Deferral has never been used to categorically deny funds to a state across entire service areas, as is being done here,» Ellison’s complaint read.

Citing the 2019 Supreme Court case Department of Commerce v. New York, Tostrud said that even if the Trump administration’s motives were, in part, political, that would not necessarily deem the Medicaid deferral unlawful.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Somali illegal immigrant Abdul Dahir Ibrahim, convicted of fraud, and connected to several high-profile Minnesota politicians, including former Democratic vice-presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz. (ICE)

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«A court may not set aside an agency’s policymaking decision solely because it might have been influenced by political considerations or prompted by an Administration’s priorities,» Tostrud wrote, quoting a concurring opinion in the case. «Agency policymaking is not a rarified technocratic process, unaffected by political considerations or the presence of Presidential power.»

Ellison’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.