The drones hold coming, the missiles hold flying and the resupply flights hold touchdown – and now senior British generals have confirmed Putin is accountable
British particular forces at their Erbil base in northern Iraq have been firing at Iranian drones (Picture: AP)
The ammunition tells the story. British particular forces at their Erbil base in northern Iraq have reportedly been firing at Iranian drones with such frequency that resupply flights grew to become obligatory — and in a single day the bottom was hit once more, with two UAVs shot down however a number of extra getting by.
Brigadier Man Foden, talking from Britain’s Everlasting Joint Headquarters, made clear the scenario on the bottom was unrelenting. “Now we have personnel in Erbil who’re at the moment serving to with the defence of that base,” he mentioned. “Final evening they shot down two UAVs coming on the camp, however a lot of UAVs did affect on the camp.”
Defence Secretary John Healey put the depth of operations in stark phrases, saying the troops had been in “fairly steady” motion from the second the battle started.
Lieutenant Basic Nick Perry confirmed resupply had already taken place, saying contemporary missiles had been delivered final week and that shares had been now “as much as an inexpensive” degree. The bottom is protected by RAF Regiment personnel working Fast Sentry launchers armed with Martlet LMM missiles able to reaching targets as much as eight kilometres away.
Russia’s fingerprints
Probably the most important revelation of the day, in line with a report by the Solar, got here from Lieutenant Basic Perry, who instructed Healey there was a “definitive hyperlink” between Moscow and the effectiveness of Iran’s drone marketing campaign. The previous SAS commander mentioned Tehran had been finding out and adopting Russian strategies to make its unmanned strikes decrease, sooner and tougher to convey down.
“Now we have seen, positively, the Iranian techniques of using their drones has learnt from the Russians,” Perry mentioned. “They’re flying them a lot decrease and subsequently they’re simpler.” His evaluation was blunt about the place the best hazard lay: “It’s the drones which might be inflicting the largest drawback for our allies throughout the area.”
Healey mentioned the Kremlin’s involvement was completely predictable. “The one world chief benefitting from sky excessive oil costs in the intervening time is Putin,” he mentioned, including that the income was giving Russia “a contemporary provide of funds for his brutal warfare in Ukraine.” He mentioned “Putin’s hidden hand” behind the Iranian strikes ought to shock no one.
Putin is straight serving to Iran make its drone strikes tougher to shoot down, mentioned the UK navy (Picture: Anadolu)
John Healey’s briefing painted the fullest image but of what appears to be Britain’s warfare (Picture: Getty)
Akrotiri investigation
Healey disclosed that the Shahed drone that struck RAF Akrotiri final week — hitting a hangar linked to the CIA’s Olive Harvest spy airplane programme and housing U-2 Dragon Girl plane — was now being bodily dismantled by navy investigators attempting to find Russian-made elements. He mentioned the weapon had been “fired from Lebanon or probably Iraq.”
“We’re taking aside and analysing the drone that hit the hangar for any proof of Russian or different international elements or components,” he mentioned. “We are going to publish any findings from that when we’ve got received them.”
President Macron of France confirmed on Friday that one French soldier had been killed and a number of other others injured throughout a drone assault on a joint base in Iraqi Kurdistan.
JUST IN: French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed {that a} French soldier was killed and a number of other others wounded in a drone assault on their base in Erbil province, Iraq. https://t.co/s99oeOomFj
— Republicans towards Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) March 13, 2026
Fleet and evacuation planning
HMS Dragon was already slicing by the japanese Mediterranean en path to strengthen British defences towards additional drone assault. On whether or not extra vessels would comply with to patrol or demine the Strait of Hormuz, Healey reportedly declined to be drawn, saying solely that he was “discussing extra choices with our planners.” He additionally confirmed he was drawing up contingency plans for potential mass evacuations from throughout the area.
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British fight jets flew patrols in a single day above Jordan, Qatar and the UAE, with floor forces stationed throughout Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Military, Royal Navy and RAF personnel are all contributing to the defence of Cyprus below Operation Luminous.
Perry supplied a fastidiously calibrated replace on British casualties. “All our individuals stay protected, contact wooden, however the Individuals took some casualties final evening, however nothing too critical,” he mentioned.
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