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UK Jets Fly Defensive Sorties After USIsrael Strikes as Missiles Reported Toward Cyprus

Ministers say UK forces are intercepting drones to protect bases after Iranian reprisals raised risks to British personnel.

Overview

  • Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain took no part in the strikes on Iran but confirmed RAF aircraft are conducting coordinated defensive operations across the region.
  • Defence Secretary John Healey said UK units have taken down threatening Iranian drones, with extra warplanes, radars and counter‑drone systems deployed to Qatar and Cyprus.
  • Healey reported two Iranian missiles were fired in the direction of Cyprus and that around 300 UK personnel were near missile and drone impacts at a base in Bahrain.
  • Protections at British bases have been raised to the highest level and UK authorities are contacting nationals in affected areas as airspace closures and disruptions continue.
  • Healey declined to endorse the legality of the USIsrael action or discuss UK base access, as opposition parties pressed for clarity and claims about Ayatollah Khamenei’s death remained disputed.