The UK's HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier has been placed on advanced readiness to sail from Portsmouth, according to defence sources.
The crew has been told to be ready to leave in five days, a reduction from the previous 14-day notice period. This development comes as the conflict in the Middle East deepens.
US President Donald Trump recently criticised UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for not sending carriers to the Middle East earlier, saying the UK was "finally giving serious thought" to deploying two aircraft carriers to the region.
UK Government Response
The UK government has not joined offensive operations regarding Iran and has not given any commitment to do so. However, the government has been accused of not acting quickly enough to protect Cyprus from enemy drones and missiles.
Sir Keir Starmer denied that the UK was unprepared for the conflict, stating that Britain had begun pre-deploying assets to the region earlier this year, particularly to Qatar and Cyprus, alongside the US and other allies.
Military Deployments
Defence sources confirmed that 400 additional UK personnel have been sent to support air defence activities across the UK's bases in Cyprus. Meanwhile, more US B-1 Lancer bombers have arrived at RAF Fairford.
A Type 45 destroyer, HMS Dragon, has been deployed to the region but will not be ready to leave Portsmouth until next week. HMS Prince of Wales is currently in Portsmouth receiving routine maintenance ahead of a planned deployment to the North Atlantic and Arctic later this year.
Protests and Reactions
Thousands of protesters marched in London, calling for an end to attacks on Iran, which they said were illegal, unprovoked, and unjustified. In a separate protest, demonstrators called for a free and democratic Iran.
Sir Keir Starmer has come under criticism for his approach to the crisis, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch saying he was "too scared to make foreign interventions."
