London, United Kingdom. British Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said the United Kingdom could legally strike missile sites in Iran, after the government confirmed its base in Cyprus is being used to launch missions to shoot down drones in the Middle East.
Lammy cites legality of self-protection
Lammy told the BBC, “It is entirely legal to protect our people and protect our staff, and therefore, all operational capacity is available to us in those circumstances.” Pressed on whether it would be legal for the UK to directly strike Iran, he said he was “not here to act as a lawyer” but added that in response to being attacked, “yes, we can take down sites that are anticipating attacking our people across the region”.
Defence measures in Cyprus and regional deployments
Lammy defended government actions before and after a drone strike on the British Akrotiri air force base in Cyprus, saying the UK has “got 400 people, additional staff, dealing with air defences, and that includes over Cyprus”. He said Defence Secretary John Healey had been there the previous day and added that the UK has deployed Typhoons to the region, as well as F-35s, with F-35 fighter jets having been deployed to Cyprus in advance of the conflict last month.
Allies and role of bases
Lammy said the government “will do everything we can to protect our airbase, to protect our staff and people, but also to support, alongside our allies”. He said that France, Germany and others have also sent frigates to the region to support those in Cyprus. He later described the UK’s bases in Cyprus as “essential”, saying they serve the region as well as the UK and that the UK works closely with allies.
Current level of UK involvement
So far, British direct involvement in the conflict has been limited to shooting down drones fired from Iran, with the British military not having directly engaged Iran itself. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed on Thursday night that Cyprus had been used as the launchpad for missions aimed at engaging and shooting down drones fired from Iran.
What do you think the UK’s next steps should be if attacks continue across the region?
