Britain has upset some of its Gulf allies by “showing up late” to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, according to defence sources familiar with government discussions.
A former senior military commander, speaking anonymously about internal conversations, criticised the approach taken by Keir Starmer, Jonathan Powell, and John Healey.
They claimed the government adopted an overly cautious stance, which delayed support for regional partners.
This criticism follows scrutiny of the delayed deployment of HMS Dragon to the Eastern Mediterranean after a drone strike targeted a British base in Cyprus. The warship set sail more than a week after the incident and has yet to arrive in the region.
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According to the former commander, concerns within the government about domestic criticism of Britain’s involvement in the conflict influenced discussions about the extent of support the UK should provide to Gulf allies.
The former commander told POLITICO: “No. 10 was determined to downplay any risk or perception of us getting involved, and now the government is playing catch-up.
“And that means we are showing up late.”
These tensions have arisen after more than two weeks of escalating violence, following Iran’s launch of drone and missile attacks on neighbouring states in retaliation for airstrikes conducted by the United States and Israel.
Before the outbreak of war, Britain had bolstered its regional military presence by deploying fighter jets and air defence systems, which have since been used to shoot down several drones.
However, the Royal Navy also withdrew its last permanently stationed vessel from the Gulf, ordering it home from Bahrain. This marked the first time in 46 years that the UK had no naval ships stationed in the Middle East.
A source familiar with military planning stated that some of Britain’s closest partners were “deeply disappointed” by the level of preparation. Speaking to Politico, the source noted that it had been evident for weeks that Washington was preparing for significant military action against Iran, deeming the UK’s response “wholly inadequate.
A senior Gulf diplomat also mentioned that the initial response from 10 Downing Street had been underwhelming. There were a lot of phone calls,” the diplomat said, “but little in the way of serious support.
Responding to the criticism, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence insisted that the UK had acted swiftly to protect its interests and allies. We acted early to protect British people and British interests and to support our allies across the region,” the spokesperson stated. “Those preparations made a real difference, enabling our troops to conduct defensive operations from day one.”
