Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the United Kingdom will send four additional Typhoon fighter jets to Qatar, enhancing defensive operations in the Gulf state and the wider region.
Wildcat helicopters equipped with anti-drone capabilities are also being dispatched to Cyprus. This move follows a recent drone strike on a Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri on the Mediterranean island. Two Iranian-made drones were shot down by British warplanes on the day of the attack.
Defence Secretary John Healey met with Cypriot officials to discuss reinforcing air defenses in response to the incident. The deployment aims to strengthen shared security amidst escalating regional tensions, including the ongoing Iran war which began with US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.