'We'll protect lives': Starmer confident HMS Dragon can be deployed 'at speed' as jets sent amid Iran chaos
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Scared and worried British citizens will be protected in the Middle East amid the ongoing war between the United States and Iran, the prime minister has said.
Calling a press conference at 2pm today (March 5), Sir Keir Starmer said the armed forces will continue their excellent work supporting allies and UK nationals in the Middle East. The conflict between the US-Israeli forces and Iran has continued into its sixth day.
As reported in the King’s Harbour Master shipping movements, HMS Dragon is due to be towed to another part of HMNB Portsmouth, from the Upper Harbour Ammunitioning Facility (UHAF), at 4.30pm tomorrow (March 6). There is still no definitive time when she will leave Portsmouth for the eastern Mediterranean to protect Cyprus. Addressing potential delays to the deployment, the prime minister said: “We’re doing everything we can at speed to make sure we properly protect our citizens, which is my number one concern.”.
Sir Keir said additional military capabilities - including four Typhoon jets - will join British forces in Qatar. Wildcat helicopters armed with Martlet missiles will be arriving in Cyprus tomorrow. Sir Keir said the US will be able to use British bases to conduct defensive operations and take out Iranian missiles.
“I know people are worried sick about family and friends caught up in this, the impact on our lives and economy, and about the potential for greater escalation,” the prime minister said. “We’re seeing missiles and drones falling, and civilians in the firing line, across the region. My focus is on providing calm and level-headed leadership in the national interest, deploying our military and diplomatic strength to protect our people.”
Addressing criticism from Donald Trump about British handling of the situation, he added: “It means having the strength to stand firm by our values and principle, no matter the pressure to do otherwise. The longstanding British position is the best way forward for the regime and the world is a negotiated settlement with Iran, where they give up their nuclear ambitions.
“That’s why I took the decision that the UK would not join the initial strikes by the US and Israel. That decision was deliberate and in the national interest. I stand by it, but when Iran started attacking countries around the Gulf and wider region, the situation changed. We were in a heightened state of readiness ahead of any conflict beginning. We’re constantly resupplying our jets and missile stores. We’re responding to requests from allies for further help. We will maintain this shield over British people in the region.”
He said Iran fired drones and munitions at ten countries who didn’t attack them, allies with thousands of British civilians and personnel. He added that capabilities have been pre-deploying to Cyprus and Qatar throughout January and February, including fighter jets, air defence missiles, and defensive systems.
The first flights bringing home British citizens have begun to land, with more than 4,000 people returning from the United Arab Emirates. A further seven flights are due to leave today. The first chartered flight from Oman departed this afternoon. A total of 140,00 British nationals have registered their interest in the Middle East.
“We’ll keep working to increase the speed and capacity of this airlift,” Sir Keir said. “This is one of the biggest operations of its kind, many times bigger than the evacuation from Afghanistan. It’s not going to happen overnight, but we will not stop until our people are safe.”
Defence secretary John Healey met his counterpart Vasilis Palmas in Cyprus to try and ease tensions about Britain’s response to drone attacks on the island. RAF Akrotiri was struck on Monday (March 2), with two other un-crewed systems intercepted. A Ministry of Defence (MoD) statement said a Shahed-like drone which targeted the base was not launched from Iran. It flew low and slow to evade detection when it was launched by pro-Iranian media in Lebanon and western Iraq. An investigation has been unable to establish conclusively where the Shahed-type drone was launched from.
Kyriacos Kouros, the Cypriot high commissioner to the UK, said the HMS Dragon’s deployment was welcome but noted it would take “more than a week” to arrive. Asked if he thought the UK had acted with sufficient urgency to protect people living in and around the bases, he told Sky News: “Already we have the presence of Greek forces on the island. Two frigates arrived, four aircraft arrived, all of them with abilities to combat drones. The French are coming. So… the least we expect is the Britons to also be present since, as I said, we are not only defending Cypriots on the island.”
Italy, the Netherlands and Spain are also reportedly sending naval assets to protect Cyprus. The Iran war with the United States started after US-Israeli strikes hit Tehran and the rest of the country last Saturday (February 28). Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the raid, with Iran launching retaliatory strikes on western positions, Gulf nations, and other sites. The death toll has risen to nearly 1,000.