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British forces shot down an Iranian drone threatening a coalition base housing the U.K. troops in Iraq, as Defense Secretary John Healey revealed that Iran fired two missiles toward the Greek Cypriot Administration (GCA), where Britain maintains military bases, warning that Tehran is "lashing out in an increasingly indiscriminate and widespread way."
"We're flying those sorties. We're taking down the drones that are menacing either our bases, our people, or our allies. And this is a really serious and deteriorating situation," Healey told Sky News on Sunday, March 1.
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Healey told Sky News and the BBC that Iran fired two missiles toward Greek Cyprus, where the UK maintains sovereign base areas at Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
"We are fairly confident that these missiles were not targeting our bases, but this shows how indiscriminate Iran's retaliation is," Healey stated.
He said Royal Air Force (RAF) jets are operating in the region as part of a "defensive capacity" and will "take down missiles or drones heading toward Britain's allies, for example, Qatar and Cyprus."
A counter-drone unit fired at and destroyed an Iranian drone that was threatening a coalition base housing British troops in Iraq, according to defense sources.
Healey confirmed the U.K. is "taking down" Iranian drones as part of its defensive operations.
It is not thought that Typhoon or F-35 jets were involved in the drone engagement. Britain has deployed warplanes to Cyprus and Qatar, along with additional radars and counter-drone weapons operated from the ground.
Healey revealed that 300 British military personnel were stationed near the base in Bahrain that was attacked by Iranian missiles on Saturday, with some "a few hundred meters from the attack."
"Iran's escalating attacks across the Middle East are putting British personnel and British people at risk," Healey noted.
He expressed concern that Iran is targeting not only military sites but also civilian infrastructure. "People will be really concerned that it's not just military targets, but civilian airports like Kuwait, hotels, and Dubai and Bahrain are being hit," he added.
Healey emphasized that Britain is not participating in the U.S.-Israeli offensive strikes against Iran.
"We have had no part in the attacks," he stated.
"We are focusing our efforts on defensive actions. We have done this from the very start and have deployed additional radars, aircraft, and other weapon systems to Cyprus and Qatar," Healey added.
Asked whether the UK would join its allies in directly striking Iran, Healey refused to speculate.
"The steps we are taking and are currently taking will always be within established rules of engagement, will continue to defend our interests and the collective interests of other allies, and will be within international law," he noted.
Asked about Khamenei's death, Healey said, "Few people will mourn" the supreme leader. "Iran and the regime he's led for so long are a source of evil—murdering their own citizens and sponsoring and exporting terror, including to countries like Britain," Healey said.
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