Second Royal Navy ship preparing for potential deployment to Middle East

• The UK is preparing to send a second vessel, RFA Lyme Bay, to the eastern Mediterranean as a precautionary measure amid the ongoing Middle East crisis.
• This follows the planned deployment of the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon, intended to protect Cyprus and RAF bases from potential drone or missile attacks.
• Initial fears over the economic impact, including a spike in oil prices, eased after comments from Donald Trump suggested the military action would be a 'short-term excursion'.
• Following these remarks, Brent crude prices fell, and the FTSE 100 Index recovered some losses, though concerns about higher energy costs persist.
• UK political figures are debating the economic consequences, with calls for a coordinated release of international oil reserves and criticism regarding the government's military response.

IN FULL

Second British ship being prepared to respond to Middle East crisis