UK military bases on 'highest level' red alert after US bombing of Iran
British forces stationed throughout the Middle East have been placed on heightened alert for potential drone strikes after the US airstrikes on Iran, as per Defence Secretary John Healey.
Healey has affirmed that protection of UK Armed Forces is now at "highest level" amid escalating concerns that the US action might ignite a broader conflict, as published in The Telegraph.
Since the strikes took place early Sunday morning, security measures at British bases in the Middle East have been significantly intensified, with staff preparing for the possibility of not only drone attacks but conventional rocket and missile assaults too.
The increased state of alert also comes at a time of growing worry over threats to UK bases both domestically and abroad.
On Saturday, a British national was apprehended in Cyprus under suspicion of conducting espionage on an RAF base for Iran, closely following an incident where two pro-Palestinian activists infiltrated RAF Brize Norton and caused damage to two planes, reports the Express.
In his column for the newspaper on Sunday, Mr Healey penned: "The safety of UK personnel and bases is my top priority. Force protection is at its highest level, and we deployed additional jets this week."
Senior defence officials are particularly cautious of the use of drones following an event where Ukrainian drones wreaked havoc on 40 Russian aircrafts –including those capable of carrying nuclear warheads– across Russia.
With the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Russia's employment of Iranian-made Shahed drones has led to widespread power outages and significant destruction of infrastructure.
The Shahed-136's explosive payload, originally designed to demolish buildings, can now also deliver lethal fragmentation or thermobaric blasts. Iran has recently deployed these drones against targets in Israel.
Earlier this month, Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that additional RAF jets would be dispatched to the region to enhance security. British bases in the Middle East include RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, where 14 RAF jets are currently stationed, as well as naval hubs in Bahrain and Oman and shared airbases in Qatar and the UAE.
Potential extra security measures could involve increasing armed guards, issuing live ammunition and deploying more radar systems.
The US acted independently in its strikes on Iran, and so far Iran's threats of retaliation have been solely directed at America.
It is understood that British bases are not yet preparing for any immediate, targeted attack, but the heightened alert reflects the broad range of threats - from rockets to improvised explosive devices - that UK forces could potentially face.
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