August M
Britain will draw on Ukraine’s battlefield experience to strengthen air defenses in the Persian Gulf, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on March 2.
In a video statement posted on his official X account, Starmer announced plans to involve Ukrainian military specialists in efforts to help Gulf partners respond to Iranian drone threats.
The move comes as tensions rise in the region following a series of reported UAV attacks, according to United24 Media.
Defensive role only
Starmer said the United Kingdom would not take part in offensive operations against Iran.
“We are not joining these strikes, but we will continue our defensive actions in the region. And we will also bring in experts from Ukraine to work together with our own experts to help partner countries in the Gulf shoot down Iranian drones that are attacking them,” he said.
He added that Britain did not participate “in the initial strikes on Iran” and does not plan to engage “in offensive actions at this time.”
Supporting regional allies
The British prime minister framed the initiative as part of collective self-defense.
“As Iran pursues a scorched-earth strategy, we support the collective self-defense of our allies and our people in the region,” he said.
The cooperation would pair Ukrainian specialists—who have developed counter-drone tactics during Russia’s full-scale invasion—with British personnel to assist Gulf states facing aerial threats.
Rising drone threat
Earlier reports indicated that Iranian-made Shahed drones struck a luxury hotel on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah and a U.S. naval base in Bahrain.
The same type of unmanned aerial vehicles has been widely used by Russian forces in attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure since 2022.
Sources: United24 Media
