Defence Secretary John Healey has revealed details of the UK’s operations in the Middle East – including taking down Iranian drones – after the US and Israel targeted Iran.
Mr Healey told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips the UK has had “no part of the strikes” on Iran on Saturday, which saw the killing of Iran’s long-time supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
On Saturday evening, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer revealed British planes were “in the sky” in the Middle East as part of a defensive operation “to protect our people, our interests and our allies” as Iran launches retaliatory action.
Politics latest: Iran ‘lashing out’ in ‘indiscriminate way’, Healey says
The defence secretary provided more details, revealing the UK is “taking down the drones that are menacing either our bases, our people or our allies”.
“We’ve stepped up alongside the Americans. We’ve stepped up our defensive forces in the Middle East. We’re flying those sorties,” he added.
Sky’s defence and security correspondent Deborah Haynes said she understood a counter-drone unit fired at the downed-drone yesterday, which was threatening a coalition base housing British troops in Iraq.
Mr Healey said extra British warplanes, radars and other weapon systems have been sent to Qatar and Cyprus, with planes currently flying to be part of a “regional coordination”.
Mr Healey said there were 300 British personnel on a base in Bahrain that was attacked by Iranian missiles and drones on Saturday.
“Some of them within a few hundred yards of where they landed,” he said.
He added that two missiles were fired towards Cyprus, but the UK does not believe Cyprus was…
