London (Parliament News) – UK PM Rishi Sunak confirms RAF intercepted Iranian drones, aiding Israel and nearby nations. Parliament’s return anticipates further updates on military support.
UK PM Rishi Sunak has verified that Royal Air Force Typhoons shot down several Iranian drones overnight and expressed that the UK’s involvement supported saving lives in Israel and neighbouring Arab countries.
The prime minister did not deliver the number of drones hit, although the UK’s assistance is likely to have been significantly less than the 70 declared by the US and dozens were reported knocked out by Jordan over its airspace.
According to the Guardian, Sunak said, “I can confirm that a number of Iranian attacks drones were shot down and we pay tribute to the bravery and the professionalism of our pilots flying into the face of danger to protect civilians.”
What military agreements exist between UK and Israel?
Britain signed a military partnership agreement with Israel in 2020, which remains confidential, and a defence and trade pact a year later, but these are not considered to require the UK to come to Israel’s assistance in the event that it is attacked by another country. Instead, Sunak represented Britain’s participation as “saving lives not just in Israel but in neighbouring nations like Jordan as well”, and he suggested it was an attachment of the air campaign against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
How does UK’s parliament influence military action?
Constitutionally, the prime minister can initiate war or order military action without consideration to parliament, relying on royal prerogative powers originally dedicated to the monarch but now delegated to ministers. In 2011 the Conservative-led coalition declared a convention had arisen whereby MPs would have the opportunity to debate the deployment of military forces in advance, except in the case of an emergency.
Parliament’s authorisation was desired for the UK to participate in the bombing against Muammar Gaddafi’s squads in Libya in 2011, against IS in Iraq in 2014 and Syria in 2015, but more recently Sunak refused to give parliament a vote on Britain’s participation in strikes against Yemen’s Houthis, who have been bombarding shipping in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
What preparations were made ahead of parliament’s return?
Parliament returns from its Easter break on Monday, having not been seated since the US first warned of a likely Iranian aggression on Israel at the end of last week. The prime minister is predicted to personally update MPs on the crisis and Britain’s military aid on Monday afternoon.
Practices for the UK’s participation in the event of any Iranian episode went on for several days last week, with Typhoons and Voyager refuelling aircraft being rebased at the Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus to deliver the necessary support.
How did RAF support US Air Force missions?
Sunak stated he had agreed to “a plan of action” on Friday at a conference of the Cobra emergency committee, where senior ministers and officials would have been attending.
RAF Typhoons also protected planned US Air Force missions over Iraq and Syria, allowing the Americans greater latitude in supporting Israel’s military, defence sources said.