This week, several European countries announced they are sending military assistance to the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea amid the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran. The conflict, which began on February 28 with Operation Epic Fury, escalated for a seventh day on Friday, with attacks continuing in Iran, Israel, and other regional countries.
On Monday, a drone attack targeted the UK’s Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri in Cyprus. This incident occurred after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the UK would allow the US to use its bases to launch so-called “defensive” strikes on Iran. The UK’s Ministry of Defence announced on Tuesday that it is deploying the HMS Dragon destroyer and two Wildcat helicopters to the Eastern Mediterranean to “bolster drone defence for our Cypriot partners.”
According to a statement from the UK Ministry of Defence, the HMS Dragon is one of six Type-45 air defence destroyers, fitted with a Sea Viper missile system capable of launching eight missiles in under 10 seconds and guiding up to 16 missiles simultaneously. Starmer announced on Thursday that the UK will send four more Typhoon fighter jets to Qatar to assist with defence efforts.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated in a televised speech on Tuesday that France is sending an aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean in response to the widening conflict. He said, “I have ordered the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, its air assets, and its escort of frigates to set course for the Mediterranean.” Macron also announced the deployment of additional air defence assets and the French frigate Languedoc to the coast of Cyprus.
Greece has dispatched two frigates and four F-16 fighter jets to Cyprus and has permitted the US to use its base in Souda Bay, Crete. Italy stated that it will send “naval assets” to Cyprus in the coming days along with France, the Netherlands, and Spain. Italy has also pledged “air-defence, anti-drone and anti-missile systems” to partners in the Gulf region.
The Portuguese government authorized the US to use its Lajes base in the Azores as part of operations targeting Iran, but with specific conditions. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro stated, “Permission has been granted on the understanding that these operations are defensive or retaliatory in nature, that they are necessary and proportionate, and that they target exclusively military objectives.” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed opposition to the war but announced that Spain will send its most advanced frigate, the Cristobal Colon, to help protect Cyprus.
European countries, wary of direct involvement in the US-Israel war with Iran, have nevertheless been drawn into the conflict due to attacks on Cyprus and Western allies in Gulf countries hosting US troops. Starmer emphasized in a social media post that the UK is “fully committed to the security of Cyprus and British military personnel based there,” but he reaffirmed his decision not to join the US-Israel campaign in Iran, which reportedly drew strong criticism from US President Donald Trump.
Source: www.aljazeera.com