KEIR STARMER HAS said that the UK is sending four more fighter jets to the Gulf region and a naval destroyer to the Mediterranean. 

The move comes as the UK Prime Minister has come under increased pressure on the country’s response to the conflict in the Middle East after a British RAF base in Cyprus was hit by an Iranian drone. 

The UK did not join with the US and Israel’s assault on Iran which began on Saturday but Starmer has stressed that the UK is involved with “defensive operations” to counter Iranian retaliatory strikes across the region. 

In a press conference this afternoon, Starmer said he was focused on “providing calm, level-headed leadership in the national interest” amid the war. 

Speaking specifically on the deployment of UK military assets, Starmer said: 

“I can announce today that we’re sending four additional Typhoon jets to join our squadron in Qatar to strengthen our defensive operations in Qatar and across the region.

Wildcat helicopters with anti-drone capabilities are arriving in Cyprus tomorrow.

He added: “We are deploying HMS Dragon to the Mediterranean, and we have allowed the US to use British bases to conduct defensive operations, to take out Iranian missiles before they’re fired at our people and our allies.”

The UK's Andrew Matthews / PA Images Andrew Matthews / PA Images / PA Images

Overnight on Monday, a hangar at the UK’s RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was hit by an Iranian-made Shahed drone, which was launched from Beirut in Lebanon, according to Cypriot officials.

Two further drones detected on Monday were shot down by British warplanes, which took off from Akrotiri.

RAF Typhoon jets flew more missions last night to defend Qatar, UK Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer told MPs today. 

Special relationship

Thursday's TIMES: Allies round on 'weak' UK#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/5r7Tk1sSU4

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US President Donald Trump has been critical of the British approach to the war, saying of Starmer on Tuesday: “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”

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Asked by reporters this afternoon if he had spoken to Trump since those comments, Starmer only said that he had spoken to Trump “on Saturday evening last weekend”. 

Trump also told The Sun newspaper that the so-called special relationship between the UK and US is “obviously not what it was”. 

Seeking to counter that criticism today, Starmer said: 

“The special relationship is in operation right now. We’re working with the Americans in the deployment from our bases. We are working together in the region, we’re working together to protect both the US and the British in joint bases where we’re jointly located, and we’re sharing intelligence on 24/7 basis in the usual way.

He added: ”Clearly it’s for the president to take decisions that he considers in the national interest, the right decisions for the US. I understand that. I respect that. But equally, it’s for me as the British Prime Minister to take decisions that I consider to be in the best interest of the United Kingdom. There’s nothing controversial about that.”