Israel Iran War · 5 March 2026
Starmer dismisses claims UK let down allies, says forces were pre-deployed from January
Chris McAndrew via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
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