British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday that the United Kingdom will send a warship to Cyprus as a demonstration of its unwavering support for its security.
The British government said in a statement that Starmer, in a call with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, expressed his “deepest dismay” at the drone attack on the Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri on Sunday evening, describing it as “a deeply concerning example of the dangerous and indiscriminate attacks being carried out by Iran and its proxies across the region.”
Starmer said, “A Type 45 air defense destroyer, one of the most capable air defense vessels in the world, will also be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to help defend the region.”
The statement added, “In addition to the UK’s ongoing defensive operations, [Starmer] confirmed that the UK will deploy two Wildcat helicopters later this week.”
Meanwhile, the British Ministry of Defence confirmed the deployment of the aircraft carrier HMS Dragon and two Wildcat anti-drone helicopters to the eastern Mediterranean to bolster British defenses in the region.
British Defence Secretary John Healey said, “We are moving quickly to strengthen our defensive presence in the eastern Mediterranean.
— KUNA
