United Kingdom in March 2026: the most important developments in security
In March 2026 the war involving Iran brought British forces into action. On 1 March Iran fired missiles toward British bases in Cyprus, and they were intercepted. On 2 March an Iranian-made drone hit RAF Akrotiri and caused limited damage; UK officials said the drone was not launched from Iran, and some reports cited Hezbollah. Britain, France and Greece sent warships and air defences to the island. The UK sent four more Typhoon jets to Qatar, and RAF jets shot down drones over Jordan, Bahrain and Iraq. US bombers landed at British bases, and on 20 March the UK approved US strikes from British bases on Iranian anti-ship missile sites. Iran was accused of firing missiles at the US-UK base on Diego Garcia on 21 March, which UK officials said failed and Iran denied. HMS Anson, a nuclear-powered submarine, was sent to the Arabian Sea.
Shipping in the Gulf region was a second concern. Projectiles hit merchant vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and off the United Arab Emirates and Oman on several dates, and a UK minister said Iran had likely begun laying mines. The UK worked with allies on options to reopen the strait, including mine-hunting and underwater drones, and was reported to be seeking to lead a coalition. By month end no warship deployment had been confirmed.
At home, four Jewish charity ambulances belonging to Hatzola were set on fire in Golders Green, London, on 23 March. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it an antisemitic attack, and on 25 March police arrested two men, linking the case to Ashab al-Yamin, a group proscribed as terrorist. Separately, four men were arrested on 6 March on suspicion of spying for Iran, and two were later charged with hostile surveillance of Jewish and Israeli sites in London. An Iranian man was arrested trying to enter the Faslane submarine base.
Relations with Russia sharpened. British forces were authorised to board Russian shadow fleet tankers suspected of breaking sanctions, and on 30 March Russia expelled a British diplomat, which the UK described as baseless.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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