Iran conflict latest: UK troops on high alert and ready for deployment in Cyprus, Western officials say

Western officials said the situation in the Middle East is developing ‘almost every hour and could go on for some time’ NewsUKUK PoliticsIran conflict latest: UK troops on high alert and ready for deployment in Cyprus, Western officials sayWestern officials said the situation in the Middle East is developing ‘almost every hour and could go on for some time’Millie Cooke Political Correspondent Wednesday 04 March 2026 14:14 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverStarmer hits back at Trump and insists ‘I won’t join Iran war without legal basis’Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreWestern officials have said they wouldn’t rule anything out in their response to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, saying that British troops are being held at very high readiness in the UK ready to respond if needed. While it is understood there are currently no immediate plans to increase the footprints in Cyprus with ground troops, they are always held on high alert in the UK in order to respond to a crisis. It came as western officials said the situation in the Middle East is developing “almost every hour and could go on for some time”, saying they are preparing to “settle in” and make sure they are ready to protect British interests in “not just short term, but the medium term as well”. Cobra meetings are being held on a daily basis, it is understood, as officials warned that the UK Armed Forces are facing a “difficult tactical and operational problem” following Iran’s “reckless, haphazard and hugely escalatory” response.In a briefing, western officials also refused to rule out participating in future strikes against Iranian ballistic missile launch sites. “I wouldn’t rule anything out at all because we just don’t know what will happen day to day, week to week as this progresses,” one said.They also confirmed that while UK bases at Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford have not yet been used for US strikes on Iran, they expect US bombers to arrive at the bases “within the next few days”. US heavy bombers are expected to reach UK bases at Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands and Fairford in Gloucestershire in the next few days, from where they are expected to attack Iran’s underground “missile cities”.The two airbases were initially denied to the US for their strikes against the Iranian regime - a decision which has sparked the ire of Donald Trump. The US president on Tuesday said he was “not happy with the UK” over the extent of its support and, referring to the prime minister, added: “this is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with”.This is a breaking news story. More to follow...More aboutMiddle EastUK armed forcesConflictIranJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesCommentsMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next