Twice, air raid sirens sounded this afternoon around RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. We barged in as soldiers lay on the ground in body armor. It was over quickly.
The British Defense Secretary, who was visiting the base at the time, was taken to a “windowless room” before being dialed into a Cobra meeting.
Defense Secretary John Healy conducted the interview at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus
The warning system at the base is quite sophisticated, cannot be as specific as the Israeli equivalent, and so the alarms are sounded cautiously, because there is no need for something incoming, but it emphasized the threat to the island, close to Lebanon and the Iranian proxy Hezbollah, which is believed to be responsible for the attack.
A drone came through the rescue on Sunday. It flew out to sea, undetected, and was described as “small”.
But it still managed to put a hole in the hangar normally used to house America’s U2 spy planes.
It’s probably not a stroke of luck: the hangar, with two U2s parked outside, is clearly visible on Google Maps.
Two US U2 spy planes seen on Google Maps satellite sitting on the tarmac next to hangars at RAF Akrotiri. Image: Google Maps
In my interview John Healy I asked him when the option of deploying a Royal Navy destroyer first crossed his desk. He suggested having options for weeks. I then urged him to clarify that it was his decision to delay and he refused.
But then, Defense sources gave me only option Royal Navy Tuesday.
Either way, the military planners or the defense secretary himself, the plan came too late for the Cypriot government and the people of the island.
The ship doesn’t leave until next week. A French frigate, the Languedoc, had already arrived from Cyprus. Based in Toulon, it was already much closer of course, but was able to leave the port remarkably immediately.
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Cyprus is being targeted because of the presence of the British military and they expect the UK to protect it accordingly.
Britain took some precautions Before the war with Iran started. Six F35 jets were sent to complement the eight Typhoons permanently stationed in Cyprus.
Vehicles forming part of the convoy carrying British Defense Secretary John Healey. Image: Reuters
Some of those F35s have been used to shoot down drones over Jordan in recent days.
Ground-based, short-range air defenses have also been deployed and Wildcat helicopters capable of tracking drones are due to arrive in Cyprus over the weekend.
Senior military commanders argue that events moved quickly, although the drumbeat of war had been growing louder for weeks and Iran had made no secret of its threat to launch a wide-ranging attack across the region in response.
Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon will be deployed to protect British military personnel in Cyprus at the Upper Harbor Munitions Facility (UHAF) in Portsmouth Harbour, Hampshire. Image: PA
The attacks on the US-manned and British RAF Akrotiri, historically one of Iran’s main enemies, should come as no surprise.
The British government originally denied the Americans access to use British bases for attacks on Iran because they did not agree on a legal basis for war. It has now reversed that decision, based on the theory that American attacks on Iranian missile batteries were helping to protect the region and thereby British interests from Iranian attack.
On that basis, I asked the Defense Secretary whether Britain would go ahead and join the offensive. Three times he refused to rule it out.
