Israel Iran War · 5 March 2026
Starmer dismisses claims UK let down allies, says forces were pre-deployed from January
Keir Starmer rejected accusations that Britain was slow to respond to the Middle East crisis, telling journalists the UK began pre-deploying military assets in January and February as part of coordinated planning with allies. He said this forward positioning — including air defence systems, radar and fighter jets in Cyprus and Qatar — allowed British forces to intercept Iranian drones rapidly once hostilities escalated. Starmer said the approach demonstrated calm, level-headed leadership rather than unpreparedness.
Reported by Cyprus Mail / PA · How we write briefs