The United Kingdom has deployed six Royal Air Force F-35 fighter jets to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus as the United States increases its military presence in the region amid rising tensions with Iran.
According to Sky News, Britain is not believed to be preparing to support any US military offensive against Iran. However, the RAF deployment to Cyprus, alongside the dispatch of four Typhoon jets to Qatar, is intended to bolster UK defences in the event of any Iranian retaliation following potential US strikes.
The US has in recent weeks moved significant naval and air assets closer to Iran. The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group are already operating in the wider region and are set to be joined by the USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group.
Sky News reported that the Ford was passing through the Strait of Gibraltar and, based on normal cruising speed, could be positioned south of Cyprus within days. The carrier groups are supported by destroyers equipped with air defence systems and Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as submarines and other support vessels.
According to Sky News tracking data, more than 15 US aerial refuelling tankers have repositioned to Europe and the Middle East since mid-January. Aircraft have flown from RAF Mildenhall in the UK and from US bases to Greece and Bulgaria.
US aircraft are known to be operating from multiple locations, including RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, Aviano in Italy, bases in Spain and the Azores, as well as Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Sky News reported that more than 100 US combat aircraft are currently available to planners in the potential theatre of operations.
Despite the military build-up, the British government has not agreed to allow the United States to launch strikes against Iran from Diego Garcia or RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, according to The Times, cited by Sky News. Under long-standing agreements, US forces require advance approval from London before launching operations from British territory.
The report said approval has not been granted amid concerns such action could breach international law.
US President Donald Trump said this week that the world would know “over the next, probably, 10 days” whether Washington would reach a deal with Tehran over its nuclear programme or take military action.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump wrote that if Iran did not agree to a deal, it “may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime”.
He added that such an attack could potentially target the United Kingdom and other allied countries.
RAF Akrotiri, one of Britain’s two Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, has previously served as a staging point for UK and allied operations in the Middle East. There has been no official indication that the current UK deployment to Cyprus is linked to preparations for direct participation in strikes against Iran.
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