Three hundred British personnel were within 200 meters of an Iranian missile and drone attack on the US naval base in Bahrain on Saturday, one of several incidents involving British forces in the Middle East war.
No casualties were reported in the incident, one of more than 25 waves of retaliatory attacks in response to the massive US-Israeli joint bombing campaign launched against Iran on Saturday.
British forces in Iraq shot down an Iranian drone reportedly heading towards a western base in the country, while an Iranian missile landed 400 meters away from British personnel in the country during anti-Islamic State operations.
Britain is not participating in the US-Israeli attack on Iran, which has been widely criticized as having no basis in international law, but is actively involved in regional defense operations in support of allies under attack.
John Healey, Britain’s defense secretary, said Iran is “lashing out in an increasingly indiscriminate and widespread manner” and that Britain is seeking to protect civilian sites and military assets.
British fighter jets from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and the US al-Udeid airbase in Qatar have been mobilized to shoot down drones and slower-moving cruise missiles, but cannot stop the faster-moving ballistics.
All British personnel in the Middle East would be safe and accounted for. British forces remain on high alert and their location and positioning are being reviewed as the conflict evolves.
Since the US and Israel attacked Iran – killing the country’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei and other key officials – Tehran has fought back with attacks on Israel, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan.
Many of the attacks targeted US bases in the region, but others targeted Kuwait airport, Dubai’s Fairmont hotel and a skyscraper in Bahrain, all in areas previously considered relatively safe.
Iran also fired two missiles into the eastern Mediterranean, towards Cyprus. Officials do not believe they targeted RAF Akrotiri or the country more broadly, and instead targeted the US Navy Ford carrier strike group operating nearby.
Healey said: “People will be really concerned that it’s not just military targets, it’s also civilian airports [in] Kuwait. Hotels in Dubai and Bahrain are affected. And that is why we have strengthened British defenses in the region.”
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