British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Tuesday that the United Kingdom is sending a warship and two Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters to Cyprus after an Iranian drone hit the British Royal Air Force (RAF) base of Akrotiri Monday morning on the east Mediterranean island.

In a social media post, Starmer said he spoke with the president of Cyprus, and the U.K. is deploying helicopters with counter-drone capabilities and the air-defense destroyer HMS Dragon to the region.

«The UK is fully committed to the security of Cyprus and British military personnel based there,» he wrote in the post. «We’re continuing our defensive operations… We will always act in the interest of the UK and our allies.»

The strike, which came days after Starmer reaffirmed his country was not involved in the conflict, hit a runway at the air base just after midnight Monday morning.

While there were no injuries, minor damage was reported.

British Defense Secretary John Healey said the country is «moving quickly» to further reinforce its defensive presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.

«HMS Dragon brings world-class air defence capability, and our Wildcat helicopters are armed with Martlet missiles to counter the growing drone threat,» Healey wrote in a statement. «I am deeply proud of the professionalism and bravery of our Armed Forces personnel who have, in recent days, successfully taken action across the region to protect our allies and defend British interests.»

The HMS Dragon, a type 45 destroyer, will strengthen the U.K.’s ability to detect, track and destroy aerial threats — including drones.

The ship is fitted with the world-leading Sea Viper missile system, which can launch eight missiles in under ten seconds and guide up to 16 missiles simultaneously. 

The deployment comes as the British armed forces successfully shot down multiple drones across the region over the last 24 hours.

RAF F-35B jets shot down drones over Jordan — the first time an RAF F-35 has destroyed a target on operations — supported by Typhoon jets and a Voyager tanker aircraft. 

A British counter-drone unit neutralized drones in Iraqi airspace heading towards Coalition forces, while an RAF Typhoon operating with the joint UK-Qatar 12 Squadron shot down an Iranian one-way attack drone directed at Qatar using an air-to-air missile on Monday.

Police officers stand guard outside RAF Akrotiri base on Jan. 14, 2024, near Limassol, Cyprus. An Iranian-made drone hit the base on Monday, March 2, 2026, causing minimal damage and no injuries amid heightened tensions. (Iakovos Hatzistavrou/AFP via Getty Images)

Prior to the strike in Cyprus, Starmer released a video explaining that Iran launched sustained attacks across the region, on countries that did not attack them. 

«They’ve hit airports and hotels where British citizens are staying. This is clearly a dangerous situation,» Starmer said. «We have at least 200,000 British citizens in the region. Residents, families on holiday and those in transit. I ask all our people in the region to please register your presence. And follow foreign office travel advice. I know this is a deeply worrying time, and we will continue to do all we can to support you.»

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He added that the British Armed Forces are also «at risk,» noting Iran hit a military base Saturday in Bahrain, «narrowly missing British personnel.» 

«The death of the supreme leader will not stop Iran from launching these strikes,» Starmer said. «Their approach is becoming even more reckless and more dangerous to civilians. Our decision that the UK would not be involved with the strikes on Iran was deliberate. Not least because we believe that the best way forward for the region and for the world is a negotiated settlement — one in which Iran agrees to give up any aspirations to develop a nuclear weapon — but Iran is striking British interests nonetheless, and putting British people at huge risk, along with our allies across the region. That is the situation we face today.»

He said partners in the Gulf asked them to «do more» to defend them, prompting a decision to allow the U.S. to use British air bases for targeted strikes against Iranian missile launchers and storage depots.

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer amped up the military presence in Cyprus following an Iranian drone strike early Monday. (Kin Cheung / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

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«We have British jets in the air as part of coordinated defensive operations, which have already successfully intercepted Iranian strikes. But the only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source — in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles,» Starmer said. «The basis of our decision is the collective self-defense of long-standing friends and allies, and protecting British lives… We are not joining these strikes, but we will continue with our defensive actions in the region.»

«I want to be very clear: We all remember the mistakes of Iraq, and we have learned those lessons,» he continued. «We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran, and we will not join offensive action now. But Iran is pursuing a scorched earth strategy. So we are supporting the collective self-defense of our allies and our people in the region because that is our duty to the British people. It is the best way to eliminate the urgent threat and prevent the situation spiraling further. This is the British government protecting British interests and British lives.»

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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La muerte del líder supremo de Irán, Alí Jamenei, abrió un nuevo capítulo en el conflicto que se desató en Medio Oriente y dejó al descubierto el nivel de penetración que, según medios internacionales, alcanzaron los servicios de inteligencia israelíes y estadounidenses dentro del aparato iraní.

El ayatollah de 86 años murió tras una operación basada en inteligencia artificial y fuentes humanas que permitió confirmar su ubicación en Teherán el sábado por la mañana, según informaron Sky News y Financial Times citando fuentes con conocimiento del operativo.

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De acuerdo a lo precisado, la planificación de la operación comenzó en 2001, cuando el entonces primer ministro israelí Ariel Sharon ordenó al Mossad que Irán fuera su principal objetivo.

Con el paso de los años, la estrategia fue evolucionando hasta convertirse en una operación que, según el reporte, se afinó durante meses y se ajustó en los días previos al ataque.

El objetivo, según analistas militares citados por medios estadounidenses, era ejecutar una operación “decapitante” destinada a desarticular el mando político-militar de la República Islámica en las primeras fases del conflicto.

Tanto Washington como Tel Aviv habían evaluado previamente un ataque selectivo contra la cúpula iraní.

Según el informe publicado el lunes por el Financial Times, Israel hackeó cámaras de tráfico de Teherán para vigilar la vida cotidiana de altos cargos iraníes como preparación para la llamada “Operación León Rugiente”, durante la cual murió Jamenei.

A través de esa vigilancia, la inteligencia israelí habría descubierto el patrón de vida del líder supremo y de su personal de seguridad: rutas de viaje, horarios de actividad e identidades de las figuras de alto rango que solían acompañarlo.

El reporte señala, además, que Israel utilizó herramientas de inteligencia artificial y algoritmos para clasificar las enormes cantidades de información recopilada sobre el liderazgo iraní y sus movimientos.

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En paralelo, según Sky News, espías israelíes habrían hackeado cámaras de tráfico en la capital iraní para rastrear los movimientos en torno al complejo residencial del líder religioso.

Las imágenes fueron una de las múltiples fuentes de inteligencia utilizadas para confirmar su presencia en el lugar.

Dos fuentes citadas por la cadena británica indicaron que, además de la vigilancia electrónica, existía una fuente humana que transmitía información a los estadounidenses. La Agencia Central de Inteligencia de Estados Unidos (CIA) declinó hacer comentarios.

La decisión final y las últimas horas

La decisión de eliminar al líder supremo fue adoptada al inicio del ataque, antes de que pudiera trasladarse a un búnker reforzado.

En los días previos, la inteligencia estadounidense e israelí detectó que Jamenei y altos funcionarios civiles y militares se reunirían en su complejo el sábado por la mañana, lo que llevó a ajustar los detalles finales del operativo.

Este martes se supo que el propio Jamenei tomó la “elección consciente” de quedarse en su lugar de trabajo, en el corazón de Teherán, cuando se produjeron los ataques de Israel y Estados Unidos.

Así lo afirmó el portavoz del Ministerio de Exteriores iraní, Ismail Baghaei, en una rueda de prensa recogida por la agencia oficial IRNA.

“Fue una elección consciente; él permaneció en su lugar de trabajo, en el corazón de Teherán, en circunstancias en las que todos sabían que se avecinaba un ataque”, sostuvo Baghaei.

El funcionario aseguró que no se trató de una “falta de cumplimiento de los protocolos de seguridad”, sino que Jamenei “se sacrificó por Irán” y dio “una gran lección”, porque “los líderes son los últimos en ser detenidos o asesinados, pero nuestro líder fue el primero”.

Israel atacó el complejo donde Jamenei se encontraba custodiado utilizando misiles Sparrow, mientras que aviones se desplegaron durante el día para lograr una sorpresa táctica, incluso en un contexto de alto nivel de alerta en Irán.

En total, se dispararon 30 misiles contra el complejo. Según las fuentes citadas por Sky News, Israel logró bloquear “una docena aproximadamente” de repetidores de telefonía móvil en las inmediaciones para impedir que los guardaespaldas recibieran posibles advertencias antes del ataque.

El informe también indica que las torres de telefonía de la zona fueron interceptadas, de modo que los teléfonos del personal de seguridad no pudieron recibir llamadas de advertencia.

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La operación incluyó inteligencia de señales, penetración en la red celular y la confirmación de la fuente estadounidense de que la reunión se estaba llevando a cabo.

Expertos en seguridad consultados por medios internacionales sostienen que la neutralización simultánea de las comunicaciones móviles buscó evitar alertas internas y retrasar cualquier intento de evacuación.

Hasta el momento no hubo confirmación independiente por parte de las autoridades iraníes sobre los detalles técnicos del operativo. Teherán calificó los ataques iniciales como un “acto de guerra” y prometió vengarse.

Irán confirmó el domingo el asesinato de su líder supremo y decretó 40 días de luto oficial. La Guardia Revolucionaria, al anunciar la muerte de Jamenei, expresó en un comunicado: “Hemos perdido a nuestro gran líder y lo lloramos (…) Su martirio en las manos de los más terribles terroristas y exterminadores de la humanidad es un símbolo de su virtud”.

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley slammed Democrats who claim that the Iranian regime was not a threat to the U.S., calling the notion «absurd.»

«It’s absurd for Democrats to say the Iranian regime was no threat to America. For decades, they targeted American troops, made the spread of terrorism a priority, relentlessly pursued nuclear weapons, built missiles aimed at our bases, and plotted assassinations against President Trump and other U.S. leaders — myself included — on American soil,» Haley said on X.

«When they chanted ‘Death to America,’ they meant all of us, at any cost,» she added.

Haley told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum that the U.S. and Israel’s joint military offensive, Operation Epic Fury, was a «history-defining moment.» She added that for President Donald Trump, her former boss-turned-political rival, it was a «legacy defining moment.»

«They attempted to do diplomacy, and the Iranian Regime did what they always do. They lie, they cheat, they never tell the truth, and they always want to make sure in the back of their minds they want to harm people,» Haley told MacCallum. «And we saw this when we got out of the Iranian deal, you know, years ago, that they were cheating then. I think that they were trying to get away with cheating now, and I think the Trump administration saw through that.»

The launch of Operation Epic Fury caused a sharp divide within the Democratic Party, with major players praising and criticizing the attacks.

Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., both of whom called the launch of Operation Epic Fury «illegal,» are among the most vocal critics. Additionally, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., claimed that the operation lacked «strategic clarity» and called for a vote on a war powers resolution.

A woman walks past a building which was damaged after a strike on a police station amid the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Vahid Salemi/AP Photo)

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«Confronting Iran’s malign regional activities, nuclear ambitions, and harsh oppression of the Iranian people demands American strength, resolve, regional coordination, and strategic clarity. Unfortunately, President Trump’s fitful cycles of lashing out and risking wider conflict are not a viable strategy,» Schumer said in a statement.

«The Senate should quickly return to session and reassert its constitutional duty by passing our resolution to enforce the War Powers Act,» Schumer added.

On Feb. 28, when the strikes began, Kaine said that Trump «launched an unnecessary, idiotic, and illegal war against Iran that puts America’s servicemembers and embassy personnel at risk.» Kaine, as well as some other Democrats, called for Congress to return to Washington to vote on his war powers resolution. The resolution, which focused on Iran, was filed in January.

Sanders also issued a statement on Saturday criticizing the operation in which he slammed both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Vermont senator said Trump and Netanyahu had started an «illegal, premeditated and unconstitutional war» against Iran. Sanders, like Kaine, called for a vote on a war powers resolution.

«This attack against Iran is a clear violation of international law and will create increased instability in an already dangerous world. If the United States and Israel can launch an attack against a sovereign nation, so can any other country. Might does not make right. It creates international anarchy, death, destruction and human misery,» Sanders’ statement read.

A general view of Tehran with smoke visible in the distance after explosions were reported in the city, on March 2, 2026, in Tehran, Iran. (Contributor/Getty Images)

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«We must not allow Trump to force us into another senseless war. No war with Iran,» he added.

There are Democrats who have praised the operation, including Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who has said that he would be a «hard no» if Democrats forced a war powers resolution vote.

«President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region. God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel,» Fetterman wrote on X as Operation Epic Fury began.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., also praised the operation, saying that «confronting the Iranian threat is essential to national security and to global stability.»

He also called on the president to comply with the War Powers Act and said that he «requested an immediate classified briefing» on the operation.

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«Today, the United States, with our key democratic ally Israel, took decisive action to defend our national security, fight terror, protect our allies, and stand with the Iranian people who have been massacred in the streets for demanding freedom from the murderous Iranian regime,» Gottheimer said.

«I applaud the extraordinary bravery and professionalism of our servicemembers and pray for their safety as Iran and its terrorist proxies retaliate against American bases and our partners in the region,» he added.

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