Nicosia, Cyprus. The United Kingdom’s defence ministry has announced the deployment of 500 additional personnel to the country’s bases in Cyprus. The move comes as Britain bolsters its forces on the island amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Deployment to Cyprus and regional operations
The ministry did not confirm to the Cyprus Mail what the personnel’s roles will be. The announcement follows an incident earlier this month in which the British Akrotiri base was hit by an Iranian-made drone.
The ministry said on Friday evening that it has “more jets flying in the region than at any time in the last 15 years” and that British pilots “have now exceeded 700 flying hours” in operations related to the conflict.
UK permission for US strikes and developments around the Strait of Hormuz
The British government gave permission for the United States to use its bases on the UK mainland and in the Indian Ocean to strike Iranian sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz.
The strait is a chokepoint between the most northerly point of Oman and Iran’s southern coast, providing the only seaborne access between the Persian Gulf and the open ocean. The text said the Iranian government had effectively closed the strait earlier in the month by mining the waters and firing on ships attempting to pass through it.
Typically, around 20 per cent of global oil passes through the strait, including European imports from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The text said global powers have been engaged in efforts to have the strait reopened, while the United States appears ready to use force in its attempts to achieve this.
Missile incident at Diego Garcia and diplomatic warning
The UK decision to allow the US to use its bases to strike Iranian sites targeting the strait prompted the Iranian government to retaliate by firing two missiles at the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean.
Neither missile reached its target, with one failing in flight and the other being downed by a US warship in the region.
Shortly beforehand, the British foreign office said Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warned her Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi against further attacks on British bases. The foreign office said the warning was issued during a telephone call held on Thursday, and that Cooper also condemned what it described as “Iran’s reckless attacks” and strikes against “critical energy infrastructure” in the Middle East.
What impact do you think the latest deployments and base activity could have on regional security?