But RAF Akrotiri was hit by a drone more than a week ago - with others intercepted - so why has it taken so long for the ship to set sail?

Former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe told Sky's This Is Why podcast that shooting down drones is "bread and butter" for the stealthy Type 45 destroyer.

Iran latest: US has destroyed 16 mine-laying boats, says Trump

He said there were two key reasons the ship had only just been deployed - and "neither are good".

The first is down to a "30-year decline" in defence spending - a topic in sharp focus since the Ukraine War - which means the Navy's cupboard is "very bare".

He singled out the period when David Cameron was prime minister.

"The strategic defence review in 2010 [and] the Cameron-Osborne austerity review really expedited that decline, and for that period of Tory government no new warships were ordered," Mr Sharpe said.

"The replacement frigates were put on ice. There's a real culpability here to that entire era."

Mr Sharpe, who commanded four ships during his career, said the Royal Navy essentially now had just seven frigates and six destroyers.

"If you do the rule of three to one - which is one working up, one on operations and one in maintenance - that leaves your cupboard very bare," said the defence analyst.

"And we effectively have two destroyers that are seaworthy at the moment. It just so happens neither are at immediate notice to go."

He said Britain still had the "building blocks" of a functioning navy - such as air defence, and anti-submarine and mine warfare capability - but it had become "wafer thin".

Limited resources mean there's now a "real nervousness about using these precious assets", according to Mr Sharpe, as it might rule them out of action in future due to the need for routine maintenance.

"This is one of the reasons she [HMS Dragon] wasn't sent, because if we sent her early - earlier than we were expecting - what do we now lose? What can we not do in six months' time?" he said.

The second main reason for the warship's tardy departure falls at the government's feet, according to Mr Sharpe.

He said ministers must take a significant share of the blame as the need to get a Type 45 "ready for sea and out the door was blatantly obvious".

For example, US President Donald Trump had made no secret of the fact that America was building significant military assets near Iran in the weeks leading up to its first strikes.

"The Navy would have said so [that battleships needed to be ready to go] - but that's not their decision," Mr Sharpe explained.

"They just present options, 'this is what we've got, this is what we recommend.' Then it's not in their hands.

"So somewhere between the Navy and Number 10, the decision-making process this time around has gone really badly wrong."

Crew 'straining at the leash'

HMS Dragon could now take anywhere between six and a half and 11 days to get to Cyprus depending on its speed and conditions in the Bay of Biscay, said the former Navy commander.

He told Sky News the 200-strong crew would be "straining at the leash" to put their training into practice.

The ship is set to use its pyramid-shaped Sampson radar tower to detect any drones or missiles heading towards Cyprus and the Akrotiri airbase.

The weapons at its disposal are formidable: Surface-to-air Sea Viper missiles, a 20mm Phalanx rapid-fire cannon for close-range combat, and an automated 30mm cannon that can take out multiple drones.

"The Sampson radar can multitask at an extraordinary rate and will determine for you what is the greatest threat," Mr Sharpe told Sky.

There's also a chance, though, that priorities could change in the coming days and weeks, he added.

Dragon could potentially end up playing a part in an effort to open up the Strait of Hormuz - the vital oil route that's currently a no-go zone for commercial ships.

"At some point, someone is going to have to try to lever that open," he said. "The Type 45 in that environment would be very, very useful to the American effort down there."

However, one potential scenario, according to Mr Sharpe, could be that the war ends or simmers down to an extent that the UK warship is not really needed.

"There's a very real chance she'll get there, come storming in at the last minute and everyone will go 'thanks very much, you can carry on now'."

Police said the blaze took place in Kerzers, a town in the western canton of Fribourg, at around 6.25pm on Tuesday. The victims have not yet been identified.

Five people have been injured, including an emergency responder, and three of them have been taken to hospital in critical condition, Fribourg police said in a statement.

It is unclear whether any other people have been hurt in the blaze, as officials said it is not known how many people were inside the bus when the fire, which "totally engulfed" the vehicle, started.

A man inside the bus "poured out petrol and set himself alight", a witness claims in a video shared with Swiss newspaper Blick. This account was corroborated by other witnesses, according to the report.

The fire could have been an "arsonistic act", the spokeswoman of Fribourg's police said at a news conference, adding the force had "information that a person is the cause of the fire".

She said that while police have received information that someone had poured petrol over themselves, she could not confirm this.

Another spokesperson said the fire could have been "deliberately" started, and added police would not reveal whether the alleged perpetrator is among the injured or dead.

Police have not ruled out a terror act and said an investigation is under way.

Officers are set to remain at the scene, where the burnt-out bus is shielded from view by barriers. Residents have been asked to avoid the area.

President 'saddened' by another deadly blaze

Schweizerische Post, the company operating the bus, said in a statement to Swiss paper Der Bund: "Our thoughts are with the injured and the families of the deceased."

Swiss President Guy Parmelin said in a post on X: "It distresses and saddens me that yet more people in Switzerland have lost their lives in a serious fire.

"The background is being clarified. To the relatives of the deceased from Kerzers, I extend my condolences. And I think of the injured & the emergency services."

The bus fire comes just months after a bar blaze in the Swiss mountain resort of Crans-Montana killed 41 people and injured 115 more in the early hours of 1 January.

Most of those who died were teenagers, and many were foreigners, including several from France and Italy.

The Courts and Tribunals Bill passed its first vote by 304 votes to 203, a majority of 101.

Ten Labour MPs voted against the plans, while 90 didn't vote at all.

All those who voted against are from the party's left wing and have previously had vocal disagreements with the government on other policies.

It had been thought the government might face a larger rebellion - although Justice Secretary David Lammy was bullish on Monday that the bill would pass.

Not all of those who didn't vote will have actively abstained, as some will have been otherwise busy.

Sky News understands that party managers were not forcing attendance at the vote.

Chief political correspondent Jon Craig said that despite the few actual votes against the bill, this was still a major rebellion and an "ominous warning for the government".

The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, Greens, and Your Party all voted against.

The bill will now proceed for further scrutiny by MPs.

It would remove the right to a jury trial for cases concerning crimes that carry sentences of up to three years.

Under the proposals, only the most serious cases, such as rape, murder and manslaughter, would be heard by a jury.

The plans have proved controversial, with over 3,200 lawyers writing to the prime minister on Tuesday urging him to "rethink".

Speaking during the debate, Mr Lammy told MPs: "The choice before the House is stark. We cannot continue with this rising backlog.

"Victims are currently worn down, people simply give up, cases collapse and offenders remain free. Free to roam the streets, free to commit more crimes, free to create more victims."

Labour MP Karl Turner, considered the lead rebel against the plans, abstained after he said the government had agreed to put an opponent on the committee of MPs who will scrutinise the bill line by line.

Speaking to Sky News after the vote, Mr Turner said his opposition to the proposals was "stronger than ever".

"I'm now confident that we have the numbers for [an] amendment [to remove] the worst parts of this bill, the jury curtailment stuff, the magistrates extra powers," he said.

But another Labour MP who supports the proposals, Natalie Fleet, told Sky News she was confident the legislation will pass.

"I am standing up for this legislation because it is so important to me and the kind of country I want women to live in... we will see it on the statute books."

Seven Labour MPs voted with the Conservatives on an amendment which would have killed the bill entirely, while 86 abstained.

Former deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner voted with the government on both votes, despite allies claiming she was looking for reassurances from the government on the proposals.

Responding to the bill's second reading vote, Conservative shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy said Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Lammy should "hang their heads in shame". "They have struck the first blow against out ancient legal right to trial by jury," he said.

Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Jess Brown-Fuller said Labour MPs had "simply sat by" and allowed the government to "push through its disastrous and unpopular plan to slash jury trials".

Camilla warned that a "culture of silence" can "empower violence against women and girls" in a speech to mark International Women's Day, at St James's Palace on Tuesday.

The Royal Family has been faced with numerous allegations about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's links with the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein that have continued with the release of the Epstein files. The former prince denies any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

The Queen, who is a long-time campaigner against domestic violence and sexual abuse, spoke on Tuesday about the her meetings with French abuse survivor Gisèle Pelicot and the family of Carol Hunt, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in Hertfordshire in 2024.

She was wearing a badge, given to her by Ms Pelicot, which read "Shame Must Change Sides".

"To every survivor of every kind of violence, many of whom have not been able to tell their stories or who have not been believed, please know that you are not alone," Camilla said at the event organised by Women of the World, where she is president.

"We stand with you and alongside you, today and every day, in solidarity, sorrow and sympathy.

"Every woman has a story. And these stories must be told. Because when we live in a culture of silence, we empower violence against women and girls," she told guests at the event organised by Women of the World, of which Camilla is president.

Rhiannon Mills, Sky News Royal correspondent said the Queen's comments could be seen as "a very thinly veiled reference to the 'Epstein issue'".

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: "I think Her Majesty's speech speaks for itself".

On Tuesday the Queen spoke about the misconception that violence against women is "a woman problem".

"Nor is it helpful to frame it as a 'man problem' in a way that casts all men as potential perpetrators," she said. "It is 'everyone's problem' and only by treating it as such can this scourge be eradicated for good."

Read more from Sky News:
Royals can't control Epstein scandal
Queen pays respects to Jilly Cooper
King concerned over Andrew claims

She said she had met with Gisele Pelicot in February to "hear her story in person, told with grace, strength and, above all, determination that the world's view of violence against women and girls must shift dramatically".

Ms Pelicot was drugged and raped by her ex-husband, who also allowed strangers to rape her while she was unconscious, for almost a decade.

.

Only a handful of vessels have transited in recent days, many switching off their tracking systems or linked to "shadow fleets".

"They can't physically close a waterway of that size, but the threat is there", said Richard Meade, editor-in-chief of maritime risk company Lloyd's List Intelligence.

Mr Meade said Iran has a proven history of using everything from ballistic missiles to unmanned aerial and seaborne drones.

What is making it through?

Sky News' Data & Forensics team has focused on 13 ships that have transited the Strait of Hormuz between 2 and 9 March.

We know the real number of crossings is much higher, as some ships turn their tracking system off, a practice known as going "dark".

Data from marine analytics firm IMF Portwatch suggests that in normal times, about 30,000 ships transit the strait per year, that's 82 per day.

The animation below shows how shipping traffic dramatically changed.

Of the ships we have identified passing through the Strait of Hormuz, many have links to Iran, China or Russia. There are also ships from Greece, India, the UAE and Singapore.

Five vessels managed by Greek firm Dynacom have transited the Strait since the war began, according to marine tracking data from Kpler.

US President Donald Trump has been urging shipowners to "show some guts" and keep sailing.

'Shadow Fleet' have crossed the most

Shadow fleet tankers dominate current crossings of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence.

They found that, of the 13 large oil and gas carriers that crossed between 2-9 March, eight were classified as part of the so-called shadow fleet.

A tanker is classed as a shadow fleet if it is carrying sanctioned oil cargo from Iran, Russia or Venezuela.

What has been attacked?

Ten vessels in or near the Strait of Hormuz have been attacked since Iran blocked the waterway, according to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

Four vessels were attacked on 1 March, three people died that day, and multiple people were injured. Two vessels were attacked on 3 March, and at least one attack every day until 7 March.

According to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a total of 14 incidents from 28 February to 10 March have affected vessels operating in and around the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.

In the interactive map below, suspicious activity, attacks and advisories are shown.

These ships carry the flag of many different countries, including the US, Marshall Islands, Gibraltar, United Arab Emirates, Bahamas, Panama and India.

On 4 March, a Malta-flagged container ship attempted to transit the strait and was hit by a projectile as it got close to the midpoint.

Tracking shows the Safeen Prestige grinding to a halt. The attack caused a fire in the engine room, and the crew had to abandon ship.

Sky News has verified CCTV video from another attack on the same day. A US-managed ship, Sonangol Namibe, was attacked by an unmanned drone boat.

The ship was 30 nautical miles southeast of the Kuwait coast. UKMTO reported an oil spill because of the incident.

The IRGC has warned that any US, Israeli or European vessel detected in the strait "will certainly be struck".

A surge in GPS jamming

There has been a huge surge in GPS jamming in the region. Hundreds of ships jump around the map and then cluster in very small areas.

GPS ship jamming is when signals are being interrupted, causing ships to send incorrect locations.

It's impossible to know exactly who is behind the jamming but analysts say it's likely to be both from Iran and others.

While Iran is widely suspected of trying to disrupt shipping in the region, analysts say the surge in GPS jamming could also be linked to others, including vessels seeking to mask their movements or respond defensively to threats, making it difficult to attribute the interference to a single source.

How has cargo shipping changed?

The Strait of Hormuz's closure also has global implications for commercial shipping routes. The two largest companies, Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), make up nearly 30% of global containerised shipping capacity in the world.

Both of these companies have suspended shipping to the Middle East.

Maersk said: "This decision has been taken as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of our personnel and vessels."

Tracking data from MarineTraffic shows container ship 'Maersk Cincinnati' rerouting its course away from the strait.

On 2 March, the data shows the ship did an almost U-turn at around 2pm UTC. It continued to retreat from the area until 4 March, finally returning to the Port of Salalah in Oman, heading to the Gulf of Kutch on 10 March, where it appeared "laded", heavily loaded.

Mr Meade said: "We're seeing a number of ships doing U-turns. They're likely getting orders to go and perform alternative operations. Now, that's fine for the ships that are headed into the Gulf, but for the ships that are already there, they're essentially stuck."

Additional reporting by Joely Santa-Cruz, Data Journalist

The Data x Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.