Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended the government’s actions amid mounting political and diplomatic pressure, insisting that the UK response to Middle East conflict faces criticism despite what he described as swift and decisive efforts to protect British citizens and support regional allies.
Speaking at a press conference in London, Starmer rejected claims that his government had reacted too slowly to the escalating war in the region. The prime minister said the United Kingdom had already taken significant steps to prepare for potential hostilities before the crisis intensified.
“We are and we have done everything we can at speed,” Starmer said, outlining the measures taken by British forces and diplomatic teams since tensions in the Middle East began rising earlier this year.
The remarks came as Britain faced scrutiny from several partners over how quickly it responded to security threats affecting military installations and civilians across the region.
One of the main points of criticism centers on an attack near Britain’s military facilities on the island of Cyprus. A drone struck an aircraft hangar at the RAF Akrotiri base on Sunday night, causing minor structural damage but no injuries.
Western officials said the drone was not launched directly from Iran, though the incident occurred amid rising tensions tied to the wider regional conflict.
Cypriot authorities later reported that two additional drones approaching the island were intercepted before reaching their targets.
Despite the limited damage, the incident raised alarm among local officials and highlighted the vulnerability of military facilities in the eastern Mediterranean.
Kyriacos Kouros, Cyprus’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom, expressed frustration over what he described as a slow response from London.
“The people are disappointed, the people are scared, the people could expect more,” Kouros said in an interview with the BBC. He also called for closer coordination between the British and Cypriot governments to prevent similar incidents in the future.
British officials acknowledged that additional military reinforcements were approved two days after the drone strike.
Among the planned deployments is the guided-missile destroyer HMS Dragon (D35), a warship capable of intercepting incoming missiles and aircraft. However, the vessel is still being equipped with weapons in the United Kingdom and is not expected to depart until the following week.
The timeline has fueled criticism from some analysts and officials who argue that Britain should have moved more quickly to reinforce the region.
On Sunday morning, officials told reporters that Iranian missiles had been detected flying in the direction of Cyprus, though they believed the island itself was not the intended target.
Even so, the event underscored the risk that the Mediterranean island could be caught in the crossfire of the expanding regional conflict.
Starmer pushed back strongly against accusations that Britain was unprepared.
According to the prime minister, the government had already begun strengthening its military posture months before the outbreak of hostilities.
“We started pre-deploying to the region in January and February, particularly to Cyprus and Qatar,” Starmer said, referencing deployments to Qatar and other locations.
Those preparations included fighter aircraft, ground-based air defense systems, radar installations, and counter-drone capabilities.
“When the strikes began on Saturday, we immediately put those jets into the sky on a mission to protect our people and our allies in the region,” he said.
British forces stationed at RAF Akrotiri include both Eurofighter Typhoon jets and Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighters, supported by radar and air-defense systems designed to detect and intercept incoming threats.
The UK government has also faced criticism from across the Atlantic.
Donald Trump, the president of the United States, has publicly questioned Starmer’s handling of the crisis.
Speaking earlier in the week, Trump suggested that the British prime minister lacked the decisive leadership required during wartime.
“This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,” Trump said in remarks reported by the Sun newspaper.
He also claimed that the UK leader had “not been helpful” during the unfolding crisis.
The comments highlight broader tensions in transatlantic relations as the conflict draws European allies into a war they initially sought to avoid.
One key source of friction has been the use of British military bases.
According to officials in London, the United States requested permission to use UK bases to launch offensive strikes against Iranian targets. The British government declined that request.
Starmer later confirmed that a second request came shortly afterward, asking to use British bases for defensive strikes against Iranian missile batteries.
That request arrived late Saturday afternoon, the prime minister said, and the UK agreed to it the following day.
The episode illustrates the delicate balancing act facing Britain as it attempts to support allies while avoiding deeper involvement in the conflict.
The government has also faced criticism over the pace of evacuating British nationals from the region.
On Wednesday, the first charter flight arranged to evacuate citizens from Oman was delayed because of technical issues, intensifying accusations that the response had been poorly coordinated.
Starmer said the government was dealing with a logistical challenge of unprecedented scale.
More than 140,000 British nationals have registered their presence in the region through government systems, enabling officials to provide updates and assistance.
But the prime minister cautioned that evacuating such a large number of people would take time.
“I want to be very clear: this is a huge undertaking,” he said.
“It’s one of the biggest operations of its kind, many times bigger than the evacuation from Afghanistan.”
European allies increase military presence
While Britain works to reinforce its military posture, several European allies are also moving assets into the eastern Mediterranean.
Countries including France and Italy have deployed naval vessels to waters near Cyprus in an effort to strengthen regional security.
These deployments are intended both to deter further attacks and to provide additional air defense coverage for the island.
Nevertheless, some defense analysts warn that British installations in Cyprus remain vulnerable.
John Foreman, a former UK defense attaché to Moscow, said Britain was now racing to close gaps in its defensive posture.
“Britain is scrambling to catch up,” Foreman said in an interview discussing the security situation.
Defense Secretary John Healey traveled to Cyprus to meet local officials and review the situation.
During his visit, he met with the island’s defense minister to discuss reinforcement plans and improved coordination.
Starmer announced that two AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat helicopters armed with Martlet missiles would arrive on the island on Friday to strengthen air defense capabilities.
The helicopters are designed to intercept drones and other aerial threats, making them particularly useful in countering the types of attacks seen earlier in the week.
Western officials say Britain’s initial hesitation in deploying additional forces partly reflected broader strategic priorities.
For much of the past year, the British military has focused on deterrence against Russia in the Arctic and northern Atlantic regions.
As a result, planners did not anticipate that Iran or its regional allies would target countries not directly involved in the initial strikes.
They also did not expect proxy forces to threaten locations such as Cyprus.
That miscalculation complicated efforts to quickly mobilize the necessary capabilities once the conflict expanded.
The crisis has unfolded while the British government is engaged in intense internal discussions about the long-term future of its armed forces.
Officials at the UK Ministry of Defence and the Treasury have been negotiating a major investment plan aimed at modernizing Britain’s military.
Those talks have been described by insiders as tense and difficult, reflecting the financial challenges of maintaining global defense commitments.
The situation illustrates the broader strategic dilemma facing the United Kingdom.
Britain must balance limited resources with the need to respond to multiple security threats—from Russia in Europe to instability in the Middle East.
As the crisis continues, the debate over the UK response to Middle East conflict faces criticism both at home and abroad.
For Starmer’s government, the challenge is not only managing the immediate security risks but also demonstrating that Britain remains capable of acting decisively during international crises.
Whether the reinforcements and evacuation efforts now underway will calm critics remains uncertain.
But the episode has already sparked a broader conversation about Britain’s readiness, its alliances, and the evolving nature of modern conflict in a volatile world.
