Starmer: UK jets have already shot down multiple Iranian drones heading toward British bases

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer convened another meeting of the Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms, known as Cobra, on the morning of 5 March 2026, continuing the United Kingdom government’s coordinated response to the escalating military conflict in Iran and the wider Middle East region.

Addressing a press conference at 10 Downing Street in London, Prime Minister Starmer acknowledged widespread public anxiety about the welfare of British nationals caught in the conflict zone, concern over the economic impact on the United Kingdom, and fears about further regional escalation. He described his governing approach as calm and level-headed leadership in the national interest, combining military and diplomatic strength to protect British citizens and personnel abroad.

Why did the United Kingdom not join the initial US and Israeli strikes on Iran and what changed that position?

The Prime Minister reiterated the United Kingdom’s longstanding position, maintained across successive British governments, that a negotiated settlement with Iran in which Iran abandons its nuclear ambitions remains the preferred path forward for the region and the world. That position informed the United Kingdom’s decision not to participate in the initial military strikes on Iran launched by the United States and Israel on 28 February 2026, when the two countries conducted a coordinated military assault, codenamed Operation Epic Fury by the United States Department of Defense and Operation Roaring Lion by Israel, targeting sites across Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah. Prime Minister Starmer confirmed at the time that the decision not to join those strikes was deliberate and in the national interest, a position he reiterated at the 5 March 2026 press conference.

However, Prime Minister Starmer stated that the situation had materially changed following Iran’s decision to fire drones and missiles at ten countries that had not attacked Iran. He described those countries as allies of the United Kingdom where hundreds of thousands of British citizens and British military personnel are present. Since the initial strikes, Iran has launched hundreds of missiles and thousands of drones at Gulf states including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, and Oman. A drone also struck the runway of Royal Air Force Akrotiri in Cyprus, a British Sovereign Base Area that constitutes sovereign United Kingdom territory under the Treaty of Establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, providing the United Kingdom with a legal basis for individual self-defence.

How has the United Kingdom military responded to Iran’s drone and missile campaign across the Gulf region?

The Prime Minister confirmed that throughout January and February 2026, the United Kingdom had already been moving additional military assets to the region in advance of any conflict beginning. Those deployments included Royal Air Force fighter jets, air defence missiles, advanced radar systems, and anti-drone systems pre-positioned at British military facilities in Cyprus and Qatar. When United States and Israeli strikes began on 28 February 2026, Royal Air Force jets were immediately placed into service over Cyprus and the wider region. Prime Minister Starmer stated that those jets had shot down multiple drones, at least one of which was on a trajectory towards a base housing British military personnel. Royal Air Force jets were operating over Jordan, Qatar, and other partner nations the night of 4 March 2026, conducting air-to-air refuelling to extend mission duration, with missile stores continuously resupplied.

Prime Minister Starmer announced several new military deployments at the press conference. Four additional Typhoon jets are being sent to join the United Kingdom squadron already stationed in Qatar to strengthen defensive operations in Qatar and across the wider region. Wildcat helicopters equipped with anti-drone capabilities are scheduled to arrive in Cyprus on 6 March 2026. The United Kingdom Defence Secretary is on the ground in Cyprus coordinating operations and meeting service personnel. Her Majesty’s Ship Dragon is being deployed to the Mediterranean. The United Kingdom has also authorised the United States to use British military bases to conduct defensive operations aimed at neutralising Iranian missiles before they can be fired at British people and allied forces.

Prime Minister Starmer stated that the basis of the United Kingdom’s decision to permit use of British bases is the collective self-defence of longstanding friends and allies, and protecting British lives, describing the arrangement as consistent with international law. Prime Minister Starmer confirmed that the United States did not formally request the use of United Kingdom military bases until Saturday afternoon, that the two governments worked through the details over the following day, and that the final decision was announced on the Sunday evening.

What is the scale of the United Kingdom’s consular and evacuation operation in the Middle East?

On the consular and evacuation effort, Prime Minister Starmer said that as of 5 March 2026, more than 140,000 individuals had registered their presence with the United Kingdom government in the region, out of an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 British nationals living in or transiting the area. Rapid Deployment Teams are on the ground in Oman and Saudi Arabia, with consular teams helping hundreds of the most vulnerable individuals. Despite widespread airspace closures, the government is working around the clock with airlines, travel companies, and governments to open safe routes back to the United Kingdom.

More than 4,000 British nationals have returned to the United Kingdom on commercial flights from the United Arab Emirates. Seven additional flights were due to depart the United Arab Emirates for the United Kingdom on 5 March 2026. The first charter flight from Oman departed at the time of the press conference, with British Airways committing to daily flights from Oman and further charter flights to be organised in the coming days. Prime Minister Starmer described the operation as one of the biggest consular operations of its kind in British history, many times larger in scale than the evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021, and acknowledged it would take time to complete.

How are Iranian attacks on the Strait of Hormuz affecting oil, gas, and energy markets?

Iran is targeting oil and gas production facilities in the Gulf and commercial tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy supply. Prime Minister Starmer said the government would work with affected industries and international allies to address the economic impact. He pointed to the United Kingdom’s planned increase in defence expenditure as the largest since the Cold War, reaffirmed the government’s economic plan as outlined by the Chancellor of the Exchequer earlier in the week, and highlighted the United Kingdom’s domestic clean energy programme as a structural measure intended to reduce dependence on volatile international energy markets. Questions were raised at Prime Minister’s Questions on 5 March 2026 about whether the conflict could result in household energy bills rising significantly if oil and gas supply disruption is prolonged.

Prime Minister Starmer addressed the domestic dimension of the conflict directly, stating that the government is reaching out to Jewish and Muslim communities across the United Kingdom and ensuring that communities and places of worship have appropriate protective security arrangements in place. He called on the nation to come together, noting that British nationals caught in the conflict zone and the armed forces protecting them come from all backgrounds. He said the conflict could continue for some time and reaffirmed that the United Kingdom government would do everything in its power to protect British lives, uphold British values, and safeguard the national interest.

What does the United Kingdom’s military and diplomatic response to the Iran conflict mean for British security, regional alliances, and global energy markets?

• Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed on 5 March 2026 that the United Kingdom had pre-deployed fighter jets, air defence missiles, radar, and anti-drone systems to Cyprus and Qatar throughout January and February 2026, and that Royal Air Force jets had shot down multiple Iranian drones including at least one headed towards a base housing British military personnel.
• The United Kingdom has announced the deployment of four additional Typhoon jets to Qatar, Wildcat helicopters to Cyprus, and Her Majesty’s Ship Dragon to the Mediterranean, and has authorised the United States to use British military bases for defensive operations against Iranian missile systems.
• Prime Minister Starmer maintained that the United Kingdom’s decision not to join the initial United States and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February 2026 was deliberate and in the national interest, while stating that Iran’s subsequent attacks on ten countries, including drone and missile strikes on United Kingdom allies and a strike on Royal Air Force Akrotiri in Cyprus, changed the legal and operational basis for United Kingdom military involvement.
• Over 140,000 British nationals have registered their presence with the United Kingdom government in the region as of 5 March 2026, with more than 4,000 already returned via commercial flights from the United Arab Emirates; the government described the evacuation as many times larger than the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.
• Iran’s targeting of oil and gas facilities in the Gulf and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz has introduced significant risks to global energy supply and domestic United Kingdom energy prices, with the government pointing to its clean energy programme and defence spending increases as long-term structural responses.