Defence Secretary John Healey has declined to rule out the possibility of British aircraft participating in strikes on Iran. During a visit to Cyprus, he was pressed by Sky News on whether he would exclude offensive operations, but he repeatedly avoided giving a definitive answer, emphasising that all UK actions so far have been defensive and coordinated with allies.
Healey stated, “As circumstances in any conflict change, you’ve got to be willing to adapt the action you take.” He highlighted the deployment of anti-drone helicopters, a Type 45 air defence destroyer, and planning staff to help coordinate contributions from other nations, including a German frigate and Greek ships already in the region.
The comments come after an Iranian-made Shahed drone struck RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus on Monday, with two further drones shot down by British warplanes. More than 400 extra air defence personnel have been sent to the UK’s bases, and two Wildcat helicopters armed with drone-busting missiles are due to arrive on Friday. HMS Dragon, a Type 45 warship, is also being deployed but will not reach the Mediterranean until next week.
Healey faced criticism over the pace of the UK’s response, with Cyprus’s high commissioner noting that a British military presence to defend the island was “the least we expect”. The Defence Secretary defended his actions, saying he had moved extra jets and air defence systems to Cyprus “weeks before” the conflict began on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced four additional Typhoon fighter jets are being deployed to Qatar. He also rebuffed criticism from US President Donald Trump, who described the UK’s lack of involvement in initial strikes as “very disappointing”. Sir Keir insisted the special relationship remains strong, with intelligence sharing ongoing, but declined to comment on reports that he considered allowing US use of British bases for strikes on Iran.
