Questions are growing over the pace of the Royal Navy’s response to the Middle East crisis, as Britain prepares to send a second ship to the Mediterranean while one of its key warships remains in Portsmouth.

HMS Dragon, the destroyer expected to help shield Cyprus and the RAF base on the island from any potential Iranian attack, has still not departed — despite more than a week of discussion about deploying it.

The delay has already drawn criticism, with concerns mounting over how quickly the British armed forces can respond as tensions continue to rise in the region.