Report: Britain Considering Sending Warplanes to Persian Gulf.

Report: Britain Considering Sending Warplanes to Persian Gulf.(INN).Britain is considering stationing warplanes in the Persian Gulf as the confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program continues, The Independent reported on Thursday. The possible deployment of the Eurofighter Typhoons follows talks with the United Arab Emirates to bolster the UK’s presence in the region, said the newspaper. The decision on whether to send the planes at such a volatile time will be made by British Prime Minister David Cameron, after further talks with the rulers of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. An announcement is expected to be made in the near future, the report said.
The arrival of British aircraft is bound to fuel the Iranian sense of insecurity even if there are assurances that the move is not aimed at them, said The Independent. Defense Secretary Philip Hammond said on Wednesday that European nations must be prepared to “take a bigger role in relation to North Africa and the Middle East.”
According to The Independent, Israel, whose Defense Minister Ehud Barak is in London at the moment with the Iran crisis the main topic of discussion, is said to be “fully aware” and supportive of the discussions over the warplanes. UK military commanders are looking at the possibility of sending British jets to a base in Abu Dhabi, which is currently being used by American and French forces, as a confidence building measure but also, crucially, in case there are attempts by the Iranians to block the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement added. “These deployments are not due to our concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. As we continue to make clear, the Government does not believe military action against Iran is the right course of action at this time, although no option is off the table.”
However, The Independent has learned from highly senior military and diplomatic sources that the Al Dhafra airbase, 20 miles south of Abu Dhabi, is being looked at as a possible station for the Typhoons. The base is in use by French Mirage fighter-bombers as well as the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing of the US Air Force with jets and Patriot missile batteries and well located for operations in the Gulf. The report comes a week after the British government reiterated that it does not believe military action against Iran would be appropriate at the moment. The statement was made following the disclosure by The Guardian that Britain has rebuffed U.S. requests to use UK military bases to support the buildup of forces in the Gulf.Read the full story here.

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