A British warship has docked in the Israeli port of Haifa at a time of heightened tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.

The two countries conducted a joint naval exercise on Tuesday, and both Israel and Britain are describing the visit by the HMS Bulwark as routine.

But its arrival comes shortly after Russia’s deployment of the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov to the region off the coast of Syria.

The ship’s commander, Capt. James Parkin, says the area is a “pretty dangerous place,” and that his troops are at a high level of preparedness.

An Israeli navy official, speaking anonymously under military guidelines, says the eastern Mediterranean has attracted a “lot of activity” by foreign navies.

(AP)