Akrotiri, Cyprus. The British government confirmed on Monday that the RAF base at Akrotiri had been hit in a drone strike. The escalation of US and Israeli air attacks on Iran and Iranian reprisals in the region has also highlighted risks to about 300,000 British citizens in the Persian Gulf.
UK military posture amid escalating conflict
The situation has raised the prospect of wider, direct UK military involvement in what was described as an escalating regional war. After the launch of “Operation Epic Fury” on Saturday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said RAF aircraft were flying missions to protect allies in the region from Iranian retaliation.
Use of UK bases in the Middle East
Starmer has allowed the United States to use UK military bases in the Middle East, strictly for “defensive” strikes on Iranian missile sites. He initially refused to allow the US to use the joint military base at Diego Garcia, prompting criticism from Donald Trump, and later said his position changed as Iranian retaliatory strikes in the region were putting British lives at risk.
UK presence and operations in Bahrain and the Gulf
Bahrain hosts the United Kingdom Naval Support Facility, which supports Operation Kipion, the Royal Navy’s maritime security mission in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. The operation dates back to the Armilla Patrol during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. The base and its 300 personnel were close to an Iranian missile strike that targeted the US Fifth Fleet’s headquarters on February 28.
Operation Kipion has effectively been suspended, with the Royal Navy withdrawing its two vessels from the Gulf. The frigate HMS Lancaster was decommissioned in December 2025, and the minesweeper HMS Middleton left the Gulf the week before US and Israeli airstrikes began to return to the UK.
RAF deployments in Qatar
The RAF has a joint squadron with the Qatari Emiri Air Force, 12 Squadron, deployed to the emirate. An RAF Typhoon jet with 12 Squadron shot down an Iranian drone launched against Qatar on March 1. Qatar also hosts a US air base at Al Udeid.
Defence ties and facilities in Oman
Oman has longstanding defence ties with the UK dating back to the establishment of its armed forces in July 1958, initially under British command, and has frequently hosted British army and RAF exercises. The port of Duqm has been developed into a logistics hub and naval base. Britain’s signals intelligence service, GCHQ, was also reported to have three listening posts in the sultanate.
Red Sea security mission
In the wider Middle East and Mediterranean region, the Royal Navy has participated in Operation Prosperity Guardian, a US-led mission to protect commercial shipping passing in and out of the Red Sea via the Bad el Mandab Strait from missile and drone attacks by the Houthis. The Houthis are aligned with Tehran and have targeted shipping bound for Israel since November 2023.
Cyprus bases and intelligence coordination
Britain has two Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, with a GCHQ listening post reportedly at Ayios Nikolaos, part of Dhekelia. Under the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, GCHQ closely coordinates eavesdropping operations with its US counterpart, the National Security Agency.
What steps should the UK take to protect British citizens in the Persian Gulf as regional tensions rise?
