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, as reported by the BBC. This development may raise speculation about a potential deployment to the Mediterranean to defend British interests threatened by the conflict in the Middle East.
US President Donald Trump recently criticized Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for not sending carriers to the Middle East earlier, saying on Truth Social: "The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East."
UK Government Response
The UK government has not joined offensive operations with regard to Iran or given any commitment to do so. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer denied that the UK was not prepared 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.
Defence sources confirmed that 400 additional UK personnel had been sent over the past weeks to support air defence activities across the UK's bases in Cyprus.
Military Deployments
A Type 45 destroyer, HMS Dragon, has been deployed to the region but will not be ready to leave Portsmouth until next week. Meanwhile, more US B-1 Lancer bombers have arrived at RAF Fairford.
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. A smaller group of people attended in support of the UK military.
Sir Keir Starmer has come under mounting criticism for his approach to the crisis, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch renewing her attacks on the prime minister's approach, saying he was "too scared to make foreign interventions."
