The United Kingdom has deployed a nuclear-powered submarine to the Arabian Sea amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, according to a report by the Daily Mail citing military sources. The submarine, HMS Anson, is said to be equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles and is believed to be positioning itself in the northern Arabian Sea. The move is expected to enhance Britain’s capability to carry out strikes on Iran if the regional conflict intensifies further.
Armed with Tomahawk Block IV missiles and Spearfish torpedoes, HMS Anson reportedly departed from Perth earlier this month and travelled approximately 5,500 miles to reach the region.
The deployment follows a decision by Downing Street to allow the United States to use British military bases for strikes on Iranian targets perceived as threats to the Strait of Hormuz.
UK approves US to use its bases to attack Iranย
Earlier on Friday, the United Kingdom had approved expanded access for the United States to use British military bases for strikes targeting Iranian missile sites linked to attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, CNN reported.
According to CNN, British ministers on Friday (local time) agreed to broaden the scope of US operations to include “defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.”
The UK had earlier restricted such access to operations aimed at preventing Iranian missile launches that directly threatened British lives or interests. A Downing Street spokesperson said that the government’s broader stance remains unchanged. “[Ministers] reaffirmed that the principles behind the UK’s approach to the conflict remain the same: the UK remains committed to defending our people, our interests and our allies, acting in accordance with international law and not getting drawn into the wider conflict,” the spokesperson said.
US-UK Diego Garcia base targeted
Iran on March 2 fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia, a joint US-UK military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean. This marks Iran’s first operational use of IRBMs and a significant attempt to target areas far beyond the Middle East and threaten US interests.ย
While one of the missiles failed in flight, and the other was intercepted by a SM-3 interceptor fired from a US warship, according to two of the people cited by WSJ. However, it couldn’t be determined if an interception was made, according to one of the officials.
It should be noted that Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands is one of two bases Britain is allowing the United States to use for “defensive” operations in Iran. The other one is Fairfort.
After the war started, the American forces stationed bombers and other equipment at the base, which has been key for several Asian operations, including the US bombing campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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