The US-Israeli war on Iran has entered its sixth day, with flights carrying stranded Britons from the Middle East facing delays. The first Government-chartered rescue flight and a British Airways commercial flight from Muscat, Oman, were expected to land in the UK early on Thursday but have been grounded due to technical issues.
Home Office Minister Alex Norris confirmed that the Government-chartered plane is now scheduled to depart from Muscat on Thursday, though an exact time was not given. He attributed the delay to operational reasons, including difficulties in getting passengers on board. Passengers were provided with hotel accommodation overnight.
Meanwhile, Defence Secretary John Healey is travelling to Cyprus to ease tensions following a drone strike on the British base at RAF Akrotiri. The Ministry of Defence confirmed the drone was not launched by Iran. Two other drones detected on Monday were shot down by British warplanes from Akrotiri.
In response, Britain has deployed the air defence destroyer HMS Dragon to help protect Cyprus, though it is not expected to arrive until next week. Wildcat helicopters with anti-drone capabilities have also been sent. Cyprus’s high commissioner to the UK, Kyriacos Kouros, welcomed the deployment but noted it would take over a week for the ship to arrive, expressing disappointment at the UK's response speed.
Mr Norris stated the Government is taking the war “exceptionally seriously” and has moved quickly to address the situation. The Foreign Office confirmed the charter flight delay was due to technical issues and is expected to depart later on Thursday.
