The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that Royal Air Force jets were not involved in intercepting Iranian missiles during the recent attacks on Israel.
In a statement released on 2 October, it was clarified that two RAF Typhoon fighter jets, along with a Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker, were deployed to support efforts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East. However, they did not engage any targets during the mission.
The Ministry of Defence stated, “Last night (1 October), two Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets and a Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East, demonstrating the UK’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security. Due to the nature of this attack, they did not engage any targets, but they played an important part in wider deterrence and efforts to prevent further escalation.”
It is understood that British jets were not equipped to engage the ballistic missiles involved in this particular incident. This differs from a previous operation earlier in the year, where RAF jets successfully intercepted and shot down lower, slower-flying drones launched from Iran.
Defence Secretary John Healey thanked the personnel involved, acknowledging their role in contributing to regional deterrence, despite not engaging targets. He reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to supporting efforts to maintain stability in the Middle East.
While British jets have been previously involved in intercepting drone threats, this recent mission involved more complex ballistic missile threats, reflecting the varied challenges the region continues to face.
Seriously why are we getting involved with this. Both israel and Iran are Russian supporters and heavily involved with china. The US political system is corrupt enough to be bought by Israeli special interest groups, let them handle it. We risk getting sucked in to yet another pointless Middle East war so sleepy joe and the Donald can get a few more campaign donations.
Iran or rather Persia has a horrible government its responsible for the entire middle east problem. It’s own people bar a handful dispise their government and would like it over thrown. Isreal giving Iran a few body blows might be the catalyst to make that happen and if a few Typhoons, which are station in Cypus anyway. providing defence and deterence help that to happen then the result will be a world thats in a far better place in the 10 years time.
First reaction is why do we get involved especially as the Israeli Govt is pretty vile but in the end it can as a Democracy be changed, Iran and others won’t except through violence. So we have to look deeper at potential futures. Yes with events in recent years we really do now have to recognise a bigger picture is in play with various corrosive actors at play working together if not directly then in sympathy for a shared goal to topple the World Order that for all its faults has brought a modicum of peace, security and shared interests,… Read more »
This ^^^
I seem to remember the exact same arguments being made in 2003.
Exactly…..here we go again. However, I trust that this time, the British people will not be sending out their children to go put their lives on the line cos Netanyahu wants to show Iran who is the boss.
Good question. I think we are being careful. It was reported that Starmer talked with Abdulla of Jordan the day before the Iranian missile attack. And the Typhoons did not shoot at anything, unlike last time. They only flew around somewhere ( maybe Jordan?) to help prevent ‘escalation’. Also no T45 taking part.
Not careful enough, we get tarred with the same brush as the US and the US is threatening retaliation against Iran.
We need to make it very clear we nothing to do with this.
Even start pulling forces out of the region, let the US know they can go it alone on this one with their ally Israel.
I would council no sudden moves. We have to decide what outcome we want and act accordingly. The Israeli government is not representative of the nation’s population. The ideal would be a one state solution – a secular Israel – a shared land for people of all faiths. Its really down to the Israeli people to rein in the Jewish fundamentalists. But realistically a demilitarised zone in south Lebanon, a lunch Korea?
That’s a very bad idea, this goes well beyond Israel, Iran is also after Jordan and iraq..they want the whole region run by their proxies…if they win the war they are fighting, Western Europe is cut off from the western Indian ocean sea lanes and the entire eastern Mediterranean comes under threat as well as does North Africa..We the west simply cannot let that region fall to Islamists. Ignoring the tide of human misery that will create..it will slice the world in half geopolitically. The Middle East directly interacts with Europe it is not a far distant land.
Ah yes I believe it’s called the Domino effect, I seem to remember LBJ using this as justification for intervening in Vietnam. It was also very much spouted by Blair and Bush when intervening in Afghanistan to save Pakistan from falling to the Taliban.
At some point we need to learn, there are no good out come for us in the Middle East and no matter what we do it won’t make a blind but of difference in the long run.
Rapidly divesting from fossil fuels should be our main priority then we can ignore the region.
Bankrupting our country you mean yes
Spineless coward you sound . The U.K. stands with Israel . Did we not dump them there for fighting for us you spineless man
The t45 can’t shoot down long range ballistic missiles , that’s why it didn’t take part this time or last time
Israel is the only true democracy in the middle east. It the only bastion of liberalism. And it is tiny compared to the hostile surrounding countries, most of which are variants of islamic theocracies that have varying levels of disdain for Israel and Jews, and are only peaceful because they know the West has got Israel’s back.
Since 2023 Israel is no longer classified as a liberal democracy, it’s been downgraded to an electoral democracy much the same as Hungary after it attacked the independence of its judiciary. It’s now continuously prolonging a war so its Prime minister does not have to have an election and face going to jail for multiple crimes. It’s also increasingly a religious theocracy as well as its criminal leadership turns to extremist polarities to hold power. Why would you want to support such a nation? Also literally what has Israel ever done for the UK? It’s refusing to do anything against… Read more »
Every paragraph here is inaccruate: Israel is not a liberal democracy?? According to whom exactly?? It is certainly a democracy (every citizen has the right to vote regardless of any criteria), it has the rule of law, it respects basic human rights every bit as much as the UK does. My goodness the UK had internment without trial during my lifetime. And Israel is worse?? “Prolonging a war”??? that Hamas began when it murdered 1100 innocent people in October 7 of last year??? … and which another terrorist group (Hezbollah) enthusiastically then joined?? Who argues that a state subject to… Read more »
You call Israel the Sole democracy in the middle-east as if we all have to die for them cos they’re a democracy….and please don’t make me laugh with that joke of Israel respecting human rights. Where is the freedom of press in Israel? Where is the respect for international law ? Where is their just conduct of war ? Where is equality and fundamental human rights in Israel? I can keep going ….just conducting elections and right to vote does not make you a democracy. 130 journalists, 280 aid workers and over 40000 civilians and counting killed in Gaza so… Read more »
Who is claiming we have to “die for Israel”? … they can defend themselves. Democracy is rule by the citizens. Israel certainly has that just like every Western European country. Just because you don’t like Israeli policies is immaterial to the fact that the country is a democracy with free elections. What happened in October 2023 is that war was initiated … not by Israel, but by the Iranian-Hamas-Hezbollah axis. When wars are initiated, terrible events follow. That is the case in all wars. But that is immaterial to the fact that states that find themselves the victims of aggression… Read more »
Yea we did it in the 1930s, so let’s turn a blind eye to slaughter in 2024 cos it is our ally…….Will you make the same argument if Putin was killing the Ukrainian civilian population is equal measure as Israel is killing Palestinian civilians? Or do we excuse them cos they’re the only democracy in the middle-east? You see how easily the whole international rule based order can unravel when you are not consistent in your condemnation…..The west has lost all credibility and now has to resort to violence or sanction to secure compliance from the rest of the world…..Developing… Read more »
Who’s no one ? You mean you , listen you been on this form under 3 names now . Most in the U.K. don’t give a shit if developing countries respect us or not and neither does the majority in the U.K. , another British woman raped by another Mohamed and is now dead because of clowns like you and your views on developing countries . Thats a polite was of saying savages 🙄
Listen silly girl , we put the Jews in that hell hole for fighting for us so we can well back them . The amount of intelligence they share with us is high 🙄🙄
Okay wet lettuce….. let’s destroy our reputation and put our country on terror alerts because the Israeli govt are trigger happy psychos that think they can shoot their way into lasting peace. I hope you’re still in fighting age or have grown up children who you can encourage to elist and go waste their lives in another senseless war because the Israelis share intelligence with us….
Our reputation at what ? Being a wet lettuce . It’s clowns like you that caused the uk decline . Go live in Gaza and be an outspoken white woman and see how many days you last before you are killed
The V Dem institute in its annual index ranking. There a massive difference between having the right to vote and being a liberal democracy.
I’m not sure if you’re familiar with Israel or its politics I suggest you look it up. The government has interfered with the independence of the judiciary. That’s why it’s not a liberal democracy.
Ukraine hasn’t had an election either
So what ? We should go bomb everyone at the say so of Netanyahu? It has nothing to do with us…..if Israel is going about assassinating anyone it likes and bombing any location of its choosing irrespective of civilian casualty, it is not for the UK to come to their rescue when those actors retaliate against them. We need to mind our business.
We put them there
Sure….but if they’re not going to be responsible international actors with value for human lives other than there own, then we shouldn’t be obliged to defend them irrespective of their actions…..And if I may ask, why did we put them there ? Seems to me that we couldn’t tolerate them either…
They are responsible. They are surrounded by Muslims who want to wipe them out . What would you like them to do ? Act all liberal in the face of rockets being fired at their towns ? We put them in that shit hole and I guarantee you every single U.K. soldier would love to go help them so it’s irrelevant what you think as you won’t be doing the fighting . Might I suggest you go live in Gaza with your liberal views and see how you get on as an out spoken woman you total fool . Muslim… Read more »
They are facing existential threats in a multipronged assault by state and terrorist actors who are willing to use human shields and slaughter civilians in first strike attacks.
If we had similarly powerful and ruthless enemies on our borders then I’m sure we’d be much more willing to incur civilian collateral damage on the enemy side in order to protect our own population.
If the west did not back Israel at this point it would send a message to others in the region that they can bully Israel with impunity.
There’s an interesting turn of phase here, ‘the Typhoons were not equipped to engage’ as if they could have been. The UK military is not equipped to engage’ ballistic missiles in general (arguably the type 45s can although we’re waiting for the upgrade to officially be able to)
During the Cold War, the Stalinist Albanians used to issue statements such as: “We and the Chinese are 800 million strong” … there is an element of “Albanianism” in current UK foreign policy … endless rhetoric about how important the UK is, but with ever declining substance.
So, as I said yesterday, we did not get involved. Amazing.
Don’t get involved in any major action against Iran. We’ll throw people, money and resources at it to show everyone how important we are only for the US to heel turn during a future election cycle, leaving us out of pocket, bewildered and looking foolish. Fool me once…..
Shouldn’t get involved. Not capable of taking out ballistic missiles. Whole episode should be a massive wake up call to UK Govt