British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that additional military forces, including fighter jets, will be sent to the region in response to rising instability in the Middle East. “We are moving assets into the region, including fighter jets, and this is for contingency support in the region,” Starmer told reporters on his way to the G7 summit in Canada.
Reinforcement of Existing Operations
The UK already maintains a military presence in the Middle East through ongoing operations in Iraq and Syria, where Royal Air Force (RAF) assets are tasked with counter-terrorism and regional security roles. The new deployment aims to strengthen these efforts amid increasing uncertainty across the region.
Preparations began early Friday after intelligence and operational assessments indicated a possible escalation, according to the prime minister's spokesman. Sözcü“The crew began preparing for deployment on Friday morning, when it was clear that the situation in the area was deteriorating,” he said.
Reinforcements and Observations
According to a report by Defence Blog, the reinforcement includes additional fighter jets and refuelling aircraft. According to flight tracking data from Flightradar, RAF Voyager refuelling aircraft were spotted over Jordan and the aircraft were seen heading towards Syrian airspace.
The UK Ministry of Defence has not released further details on the number of aircraft involved or specific deployment locations, but the move reflects a wider UK effort to maintain operational readiness in the event of further conflict or the need for rapid response.
The RAF’s ongoing presence in the region is part of Operation Shader, the UK’s long-running mission to target ISIS remnants and support stability operations in coordination with international partners. The addition of the new aircraft shows London is preparing for a wider range of contingencies beyond its current mission scope.
