The plan was created on the basis of discussions between the Minister of Defense John Healey and senior military officials about the deployment of the Type 45 destroyer in the region. The newspaper The Times informs about it, according to which the plan was created very quickly during Monday. France has already announced that it plans to send air defense systems to Cyprus.
HMS Duncan is currently on high alert and was chosen as the ship that would get to Cyprus the fastest. It could set sail within a few days. The British fleet currently has six Type 45 destroyers, three of which are undergoing extensive maintenance. HMS Dauntless and HMS Dragon are in British ports but cannot sail immediately.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday gave the United States permission to use the British bases of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and Fairford in Gloucestershire for “limited defensive purposes” against Iran. Shortly afterwards, the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus was hit by a drone and a fire broke out in the area. The attack is still under investigation, but Britain assumes that the drone was launched before the prime minister authorized the use of the bases.
The United Kingdom does not yet have the ability to defend Cyprus against ballistic missile attacks, which raises concerns about the possible threat to the island in the event of further Iranian attacks.
During the four-day Iranian attacks on the Arab states, for example, the American embassy in Riyadh was hit. Repeated attacks hit ports in Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for the transportation of oil.
