British Fighter Jets Deployed to Middle East Amid Escalating Israel-Iran Conflict

By Dayo Ade Olusola | M10News.com
Category: International Affairs | Date: June 14, 2025

British fighter jets have been ordered to the Middle East as tensions escalate between Israel and Iran, raising fears the region could be on the brink of all-out war.

The move comes amid a sharp increase in missile and drone attacks striking major cities, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Tehran, and Zanjan.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed the UK is bolstering its military presence in the region following warnings from Iran.

The Iranian government cautioned the United States, United Kingdom, and France against supporting Israel in repelling incoming attacks, threatening consequences if such assistance continues. Speaking en route to the G7 summit in Canada, Starmer said: “I will always make the right decisions for the UK and our allies.”

The recent exchange of strikes has inflicted significant casualties. Iranian authorities report over 78 deaths, including four senior security officials, and more than 320 wounded, the majority civilians. On the Israeli side, three fatalities have been confirmed, with dozens injured from Iranian missile barrages.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has vowed a severe response, warning that “Tehran will burn” if the attacks persist. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz echoed this stance, declaring: “If [Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei continues to fire missiles toward the Israeli home front – Tehran will burn.”

Scenes of black smoke rising from military and residential areas across both nations highlight the severity and relentlessness of the bombardments. Despite international calls for de-escalation, neither side shows signs of backing down, increasing concerns that this could evolve into a prolonged military campaign.

Experts warn the conflict risks drawing in wider regional and global powers. Shahram Akbarzadeh, director of the Middle East Studies Forum at the Alfred Deakin Institute, cautioned that there are “more attacks to come” as Israel and Iran prepare for an extended confrontation.

He added that the United States and Gulf nations could become entangled in the conflict, noting Israel’s reliance on US security commitments may compel Washington to intervene.

Iran’s Fars news agency quoted senior military officials warning that the fighting may soon spread to US military bases scattered across the Middle East, describing forthcoming actions as “painful and regrettable for the aggressors.”

The Iranian Supreme Leader’s recent message declared that perpetrators of what he called a “great crime” would not escape unpunished, as waves of missiles targeted Israeli cities late Friday and into Saturday. Iranian state television broadcast scenes celebrating the strikes, including footage of citizens distributing sweets.

Israel’s military confirmed intercepting additional drones near the Dead Sea in the early hours of Saturday. Hospitals in Tel Aviv treated multiple injuries caused by missile fragments, while an Iranian missile strike in the central city of Rishon Lezion killed two people and wounded 19 more.

Among the strategic targets hit by Israel were key nuclear sites. The main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz was heavily damaged, with visible plumes of black smoke rising.

A smaller enrichment plant in Fordo and a nuclear research centre in Isfahan were also reported struck. Israel further claimed to have destroyed multiple radar installations and surface-to-air missile launchers in western Iran.

As the conflict intensifies, global attention remains fixed on the Middle East, with fears mounting that the fighting could spiral beyond current borders, destabilising the region further and drawing in international actors.

Published by F. Dayo Olusola for M10News.com