Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed that the UK will send air defence destroyer HMS Dragon to protect British military personnel in Cyprus.
Helicopters with counter-drone capabilities will also form part of the contingent being deployed.
“The UK is fully committed to the security of Cyprus and British military personnel based there,” the Prime Minister said on X.
“We’re continuing our defensive operations, and I’ve just spoken with the President of Cyprus to let him know that we are sending helicopters with counter-drone capabilities and HMS Dragon is to be deployed to the region.”
“We will always act in the interest of the UK and our allies.”
HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, is the only vessel in the British arsenal with the ability to shoot down ballistic missiles.
However, GB News understands the ship’s transit to Cyprus could be delayed.
It may not depart Portsmouth until sometime early next week, according to NavyLookout.
Keir Starmer has confirmed that HMS Dragon and Helicopters with counter-drone capabilities to Cyprus
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X: KEIR STARMER
It comes as Britain has agreed to allow the US to use UK military bases for limited defensive action against Iranian missile sites, despite previously barring access.
The shift was prompted by Iranian attacks on allies and British assets, including a drone strike on RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
However, the Prime Minister’s latest moves appear not to have moved US President Donald Trump, who confirmed he was “not happy” with the UK this afternoon.
During a press conference at the White House this afternoon, the US President singled out Britain’s response and expressed his dissatisfaction with the way they reacted to the missile blitz on Tehran.
HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, is the only vessel in the British arsenal with the ability to shoot down ballistic missiles
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The US President said Sir Keir “was no Winston Churchill” in a scathing analysis of the world leader after the Prime Minister initially refused to allow American bombers to use UK bases, including at Diego Garcia.
Speaking about Labour’s Chagos “surrender” deal, Mr Trump said: “That island that you read about, the lease, for whatever reason, he made a lease of the island, somebody came and took it away from him.
“And it’s taken three, four days for us to work out where we can land, it would have been much more convenient landing there as opposed to flying many extra hours.
“So we are very surprised. This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with…”
President Donald Trump said he was ‘not happy’ with the UK and hit out at Keir Starmer this afternoon
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After the Prime Minister refused to give his explicit blessing to the US, the President has ramped up his spat with Sir Keir over support from Britain, previously accusing the Labour leader of being “unhelpful”, while many fear for the fate of the US-UK special relationship.
In the Commons, the Prime Minister delivered a statement to MPs about the turmoil across the Middle East – and refused to explicitly support or condemn Mr Trump’s military action.
“We all remember the mistakes of Iraq, and we have learned those lessons. Any UK actions must always have a lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan,” he said.
The President went on to express his “deep disappointment” with Sir Keir yesterday after the Prime Minister initially blocked American forces from launching strikes against Iran from the Diego Garcia military base.