Britain and America could be dragged into a wider war between Israel and Iran, a defence chief has warned – as the globe teeters on the brink of World War Three.
US and British warships are already in the region, with one of America’s most powerful aircraft carriers the USS Harry S Truman now steaming across the Atlantic to bolster the West’s military muscle in the region.
It comes after Iran launched an unprecedented onslaught against Tel Aviv overnight which saw about 180 ballistic missiles being fired against Israel, plunging the Middle East into chaos.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Iranian leadership had ‘made a big mistake’ and he defiantly vowed it ‘will pay’ for its bombardment.
Meanwhile Iran threatened more ‘crushing attacks’ on Israel – while Iranian-backed militias warned American bases in Iraq would be targeted should the US join any action against Tehran.
And as the crisis threats to explode, with Israel continuing with its bombing against Lebannon today, Admiral Lord Alan West, the former head of the Royal Navy, feared the ratcheting up of military aggression was reaching a dangerous stage.
The veteran Labour peer told MailOnline: ‘There’s a huge amount of diplomatic pressure – the last thing we want is for a war between Israel and Iran because inevitably America would be involved because the USA is the ‘Great Satan’ and we’re the little one and Iranians see us working alongside us, so it could inevitably see the UK getting pulled into this.’
Israel was attacked by a huge ballistic missile barrage by Iran overnight (pictured or missiles being intercepted by Iran’s Iron Dome defence system)
Iranian state TV broadcasted the moment it launched nearly 200 missiles towards Israel
A woman carries a cat past a destroyed building at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburb of Shayyah on October 2 as the conflict continues to explode
Pictured are the British and American warships in the region that could aid Israel against Iran
Admiral Lord Alan West, former head of the Royal Navy, feared Britain and the US could be dragged into war with Iran should the violence in the Middle East continue to ramp up
Two American warships were last night used in the effort to defend Israel from Iran’s bombardment, with the USS Bulkeley and USS Cole firing ‘approximately a dozen interceptors against the incoming Iranian missiles’, US officials confirmed.
America already has a number of major naval battle groups stationed in the region, with the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group in the Gulf of Oman, south of Iran, the USS Wasp amphibious assault group in the Mediterranean, as well as a number of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers in the Med and Red Sea.
The USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier is steaming across the Atlantic with Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Jason Dunham and USS Stout and guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg and is expected to arrive in the region soon.
While Britain has £1bn Type 45 warship HMS Duncan, which is touted as one of the most advanced air defence destroyers in the world, is currently in Cyprus – a key staging point for UK forces in the Middle East region.
The UK Ministry of Defence said two Typhoon jets and a tanker were involved in the operation on Tuesday night as Iran launched a missile barrage against Israel but ‘due to the nature of this attack, they did not engage any targets’.
The bolstering of Western military hardware comes as the region edges closer to an all-out war that is drawing in allies on both sides – with British jets used to counter Iran’s strikes, which were fired in retaliation to attacks on the Islamic Republic’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon in recent days.
Reports suggest Israel, which has vowed to ‘make Iran pay’, could go after the Islamic Republic’s oil facilities.
Iran is the third biggest producer of crude oil in the OPEC group of oil-producing countries and is heavily reliant on its oil and gas exports to prop up its ailing economy amid years of sanctions.
American aircraft carrier the USS Harry S. Truman is steaming across the Atlantic to join other US warships in the Middle East as the threat of ‘all-out war’ looms
British Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan is already in the Middle East as part of the ship’s mission protecting international shipping in the Red Sea
Meanwhile, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett this morning called for a decisive strike to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.
‘We must act now to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, its central energy facilities, and to fatally cripple this terrorist regime,’ Bennett wrote on X just hours after the attack on Israel on Tuesday.
‘We have the justification. We have the tools. Now that Hezbollah and Hamas are paralysed, Iran stands exposed.’
Speaking at the opening of a cabinet meeting on Tuesday night, Mr Netanyahu said Iran ‘does not understand’ his country’s ‘determination to retaliate’ against its enemies.
‘They will understand. We will stand by the rule we established: whoever attacks us – we will attack’.
An Israeli official said the attack – a major escalation in the months-long conflict in the Middle East – signalled war had been declared on Israel.
‘This attack will have consequences. We have plans, and we will operate at the place and time we decide,’ added Rear-Adm Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman.
America, which was involved in shooting down the barrage, warned there will be ‘severe consequences’ for Iran, while Downing Street ‘completely condemns’ Tehran’s actions and has called for de-escalation across the region.
In the wake of Iran’s missile attack, President Joe Biden said last night the US remains ‘fully’ supportive of Israeli defense efforts.
Speaking just before he was set to receive a briefing on ongoing relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene, Biden said American troops had ‘actively supported the defense of Israel’ against Tehran’s shock offensive.
People take shelter during an air raid siren after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, in central Israel October 1, 2024
An Israeli airstrike hits an area in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Wednesday, October 2, 2024
‘Based on what we know now, the attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective, and this is testament to Israeli military capability and the US military,’ he said. ‘It’s also a testament to intensive planning between the United States and Israel to anticipate and defend against the brazen attack we expected.’
Responding on Tuesday to Iran’s attack, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK ‘stands with Israel’ and recognises its right to self-defence.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had launched the missiles in retaliation for recent attacks that killed the leaders of the Hezbollah and Hamas terror groups, as well as a top Iranian commander.
But speaking from Downing Street Sir Keir lashed out at Iran’s bombardment of Israel, saying he was ‘deeply concerned that the region is on the brink’.
‘We stand with Israel and we recognise her right to self-defence in the face of this aggression,’ said the PM, who had been on the phone with Netanyahu when the strikes began.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer gave a speech from Downing Street following Iran’s attack
UK Defence Secretary John Healey (centre) is pictured arriving in Cyprus today amid the crisis in the Middle East
Dramatic footage shows missiles exploding near Tel Aviv – as the Iron Dome stood firm
Calling on Iran to stop its attacks, the PM added: ‘Together with its proxies like Hezbollah, Iran has menaced the Middle East for far too long, chaos and destruction brought not just to Israel, but to the people they live amongst in Lebanon and beyond.
‘Make no mistake, Britain stands full square against such violence. We support Israel’s reasonable demand for the security of its people.’
Defence Secretary John Healey, who is Cyprus to visit personnel based on the island, said British forces had ‘played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation’, without giving more details.
He added: ‘The UK stands fully behind Israel’s right to defend its country and its people against threats.’
Former Tory Armed Forces Minister said Britain must remain staunchly behind its allies in Israel.
He told MailOnline: ‘We should stand by Isreal, the only democracy in the Middle East, in her hour of need.’
In a statement, the MoD said: ‘Last night two Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets and a Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East, demonstrating the UK’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security.
‘Due to the nature of this attack, they did not engage any targets, but they played an important part in wider deterrence and efforts to prevent further escalation.
‘The Defence Secretary has thanked our personnel involved in the response.’
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