The United Kingdom has deployed military assets to support coordinated regional defensive operations in the Middle East, Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed Saturday morning.
Starmer said British planes and missile defenses were active but emphasized U.K. forces did not take part in offensive strikes.
He said he condemned Iran’s attacks on partners across the region and extended support and solidarity to affected countries following an emergency Cobra meeting.
The United Kingdom raised protections for its bases and personnel to their highest level and provided consular assistance to U.K. nationals in the region.
Starmer said the U.K. had deployed RAF Typhoon jets to Qatar to protect the al-Udeid airbase and positioned F-35s, air defenses, radar, and counter‑drone systems at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, according to a report from The Guardian.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to participate in defensive operations alongside the U.K., the statement said.
Regional Strikes and Responses
U.S. and Israeli forces carried out strikes on Iranian military and leadership sites, including locations tied to the supreme leader, the presidential office in Tehran, and an aerial defense system near Kermanshah.
Multiple senior Iranian military commanders, including the commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps and the defense minister, were reported killed in the initial attack.
President Donald Trump described the operations as major combat actions and called for regime change in Iran.
According to a report from Fox News, strikes in Iraq could last “days, not hours,” citing senior officials.
Iran responded with missiles and drones aimed at Israeli territory and U.S. military facilities across the region.
Explosions and sirens were reported in Haifa while U.S. bases were struck at al-Udeid in Qatar, Ali Al-Salem airbase and Kuwait International Airport in Kuwait, a naval facility in Bahrain, and sites near Dubai in the UAE.
Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan reported successful interceptions of incoming projectiles.
The counterattacks caused limited damage, minor injuries, and at least one civilian death from falling debris in the UAE, officials confirmed.
