Fighter jets, refuelling aircraft, frigate: UK assets in Mideast
Below, AFP takes a look at the UK's military presence in the region.
- 'Contingency support' -
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Play this game for 1 minute and see why everyone is addicted.
Panzer.Quest
Undo
Starmer told reporters travelling with him on his plane to Canada for G7 talks on Saturday that Britain was "moving assets to the region, including jets... for contingency support".
The jets are
Eurofighter Typhoon planes
, according to Britain's defence ministry.
Live Events
Additional refuelling aircraft have also been deployed from UK bases, according to Downing Street.
Royal Air Force fighter planes are already in the region as part of
Operation Shader
, the codename given to Britain's contribution to the international campaign against the Islamic State group.
RAF Typhoon jets aided Israel in April 2024 when they shot down an unspecified number of drones fired by Iran, as confirmed by the UK's then-prime minister, Rishi Sunak.
Starmer, Sunak's successor, refused to speculate whether the UK would become directly involved this time in the conflict between the arch foes, which entered their fourth day on Monday.
Iran threatened to target American, British and French bases if Western countries intervened to stop Iranian strikes on Israel.
Tehran also urged London, Paris and Berlin to pressure Israel to stop its deadly attacks on Iran.
- Air bases -
The UK Ministry of Defence did not confirm where the fighter jets were heading to but the BBC reported they would be operating from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, Britain's largest air force base in the region.
The permanent joint operating base is where RAF jets fly from for Operation Shader.
Transport, air-to-air refuelling and reconnaissance aircraft operate from there and Britain's other base on Cyprus at Dhekelia.
The RAF's operational headquarters in the Middle East is housed at Al Udeid air base in Qatar, a site that is also used by the US Air Force.
Britain's air force also operates from Al Minhad air base in the United Arab Emirates and Al Musannah air base in Oman, according to information provided by the UK parliament.
- Navy and army -
The British Royal Navy's main operations site in the Middle East is the UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain in the Gulf.
A type-23 frigate is permanently based there, as are four mine-counter vessels and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel, according to research complied by the House of Commons library.
The navy has also operated a logistics base at Duqm port in Oman, by the Arabian Sea, since 2018.
The British Army permanently deploys two infantry battalions to the bases on Cyprus.
Some 2,220 British soldiers were stationed there as of April last year, according to Ministry of Defence (MoD) statistics.
UK troops are also involved in training Iraqi and Kurdish security forces in combatting IS.
Two hundred personnel were deployed on operations in Iraq as of January 2024, according to the MoD.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
34 minutes ago
- Time of India
Elon Musk's father Errol Musk to Donald Trump: ‘Listen to Elon…he's not a fool'
Elon Musk 's father Errol Musk has shared an advice for his son. According to a report by Al-Arabiya English, Errol Musk advised his son Elon to 'stay silent' and concentrate on his businesses, especially Tesla. He acknowledged that politics can be complicated, with 'tempers flare' and 'human behavior is so complicated,' and suggested it's better for Elon to stay focused on what he does best—running his companies. Errol also expressed his surprise over the Tesla and SpaceX CEO's feud with US President Donald Trump . He said: 'As far as President Trump going against Elon, I can't really understand what is going on. It makes no sense to me at all.' Errol also expressed his optimism despite the rising tension between the two. He said: 'Something good will come out of this, I'm pretty sure.' Elon Musk's father supports Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill According to the report, Errol and Elon have different opinions about the Trump administration's One Big Beautiful Bill . While the tech billionaire has been a vocal critique of Trump's bill, Errol, on the other hand, supports it. Talking about the bill, Errol said 'United States needs a lot of rebuilding…they need to spend money'. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Walmart Photos Which Are Not For Everyone Old Money Style Undo The senior Musk also made a request to President Trump to 'Listen to Elon,' adding that 'He's not a fool'. At last, Musk's father advised both Trump and Elon to 'talk it out.' Trump-Musk feud The feud between Trump and Musk reignited after the tech billionaire criticized Trump's new federal spending bill. So much so that he threatened to create a new political group, calling it the 'America Party,' if the bill is passed by the Senate. Trump responded by questioning Musk's loyalty and criticizing electric vehicle mandates, which he called 'ridiculous.' Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed [sic] me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate. It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one,' the president wrote on Truth Social. OnePlus Nord 5 and OnePlus Nord CE 5: Unboxing and first look AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Court cannot punish B for A's mistake: Counsel on HC order nixing 32k primary teachers' appts
Kolkata: Senior counsel Anindya Mitra challenged the 2023 Calcutta High Court order by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay annulling services of 32,000 primary school teachers and argued that a court of law cannot cancel appointments of people not made parties in a case because that would constitute a violation of the principles of natural justice. Arguing before a division bench of the Calcutta HC on Thursday, Mitra said, "The petitioners who moved the single bench didn't even make such a prayer." The senior counsel restricted his arguments to the 2016 selection of primary teachers that concluded in 2017 and distinguished it from the 2014 Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). Mitra argued that the writ petition was moved five years after the selection process had concluded and pointed out that the petitioners did not make any allegations of illegality. "The basis of the illegality recorded in the judgement was the judge's own, based on irrelevant considerations. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Counsel submitted that the judge in the case made references to allegations of corruption against ministers, MLAs and the former president of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education, describing the selection process as the "biggest scam" in Bengal's education system. "A minister or an MLA or a former president might have been arrested for doing something wrong. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo But for an offence committed by A, you cannot punish B," Mitra said. He submitted that the judge made these observations in relation to the 2014 TET and not the 2016 selection process by the Board. The senior counsel drew the division bench's attention to the part of the single bench judgement stating: "the sense of justice is above the sense of law" and argued that such a conclusion goes against the basic framework of the Constitution and rule of law. The counsel pointed out that the judge, while taking on an investigation on his own, had questioned candidates from only four of 20 districts and made a generalised observation on aptitude tests, when nine among those questioned had said that aptitude tests were held. Mitra cited SC judgements to substantiate that a court cannot generalise issues. He further pointed out from the records that the judge had initially ordered the cancellation of 36,000 teachers. "He made changes to his order, calling it a typographical error. Is this believable?"
NDTV
42 minutes ago
- NDTV
Ten Years After Brazil Mine Disaster, Pollution Persists
A decade after a dam collapsed in Brazil, sending a deluge of toxic mud into villages and waterways, residents complain of an inadequate cleanup and compensation by international mining firms. The 2015 dam collapse which killed 19 people was one of Brazil's worst environmental disasters, with survivors saying the Doce River region north of Rio de Janeiro remains heavily polluted. "The entire ecosystem around the river was destroyed," Marcelo Krenak, a leader of the Krenak Indigenous people, told AFP on the sidelines of a hearing in London held this week. The hearing is part of a large-scale legal action brought by claimants seeking compensation from Australian mining giant BHP -- which, at the time of the disaster, had one of its global headquarters in the UK. "My people, the culture, has always been linked to the river," Krenak said, wearing a traditional headdress with striking blue feathers. "The medicinal plants that only existed in the river are contaminated, the soil is contaminated, so you cannot plant, you cannot use the river water for animals," he added. Following a mega-trial that concluded in March, the claimants now await a decision from the British High Court in the coming weeks regarding BHP's liability for the disaster. The Fundao tailings dam at an iron ore mine in Minas Gerais state was managed by Samarco, co-owned by BHP and Brazilian miner Vale. The High Court is already preparing the second phase of the case to determine potential damages and compensation, which could begin in October 2026 if BHP is found liable. 'Terrible tragedy' The company told AFP that "the recovery of the Doce River, the water quality of which had already returned to pre-dam failure levels, remained a focus". Acknowledging the "terrible tragedy", BHP said it is "committed to supporting Samarco to do what's right by the Brazilian people, communities, organisations, and environments affected by the dam failure". BHP maintains that the compensation agreement it reached last year in Brazil -- worth around $31 billion -- provides a resolution. However, a majority of the 620,000 claimants, including 46 municipalities, argue that they are not sufficiently covered by the deal and are instead seeking around £35 billion ($49 billion) in damages. Krenak said the claimants will at a potential future hearing present "visual evidence, photos and videos of what was done, what caused it, and the damage it is causing to this day". The city of Mariana, one of the areas hardest hit by the disaster, is seeking 28 billion Brazilian real ($5 billion) in compensation. "Our hope is that here in London, the municipality will be heard because, in Brazil, we were not heard," Mayor of Mariana, Juliano Duarte, told AFP. Duarte said he believes the British legal system will hold BHP accountable, which could pressure the company to negotiate directly with the claimants. He said the municipality is "open" to negotiation but "will not accept crumbs like those that were offered in Brazil".
