British military bases on ‘highest level’ red alert after Trump’s suprise bombing of Iran
UK forces across the Middle East and Cyprus have been put on high alert (Image: Getty)
UK forces across the Middle East have been put on high alert for drone strikes in the wake of the US bombing of Iran.
Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed that UK Armed Forces protection is at its “highest level” as fears grow that the US action could spark a wider conflict, reports The Telegraph.
It is understood that British bases across the Middle East have boosted security measures since Sunday’s early-hours strikes, with personnel braced for drone attacks as well as conventional rocket and missile strikes.
The heightened vigilance comes as concerns also grow over threats to UK bases at home and overseas.
On Saturday, a British man was arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of spying on an RAF base on behalf of Iran. Just a day earlier, two pro-Palestinian protesters broke into RAF Brize Norton and vandalised two aircraft.
John Healey Speaks At The RUSI Land Warfare Conference (Image: Getty)
Writing on X on Sunday, Mr Healey said: “The safety of UK personnel and bases is my top priority. Force protection is at its highest level, and we deployed additional jets this week.”
Defence chiefs will be especially wary of drone threats after a swarm of Ukrainian drones damaged 40 Russian warplanes — including long-range nuclear-capable jets — at bases across Russia.
Russia has relied on Iranian-made Shahed drones to devastating effect in Ukraine, causing blackouts and heavy damage to power facilities.
The explosive payload of the Shahed-136 was originally designed to destroy buildings but can now also deliver charges to kill through fragmentation or thermobaric blasts. Iran has also sent these drones against targets in Israel in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that more RAF jets would be sent to the region to bolster security. British bases in the Middle East include RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, where 14 RAF jets are now stationed, as well as naval hubs in Bahrain and Oman and shared airbases in Qatar and the UAE.
Extra security measures being considered may include boosting armed guards, issuing live ammunition and deploying more radar systems.
The US acted alone in its strikes on Iran, and so far Iran’s threats of retaliation have been directed only at America.
It is understood that British bases are not yet preparing for any imminent, targeted attack, but the heightened alert reflects the broad range of threats — from rockets to improvised explosive devices — that UK forces could face.
UK householders urged to place penny in glass of water this week for one reason
Placing a penny in a bag of water can help deter wasps around a BBQ (Image: Getty)
Temperatures look set to remain humid for large parts of the UK following a simmering weekend with temperatures soaring to a boiling 33.2C in some areas. Following a wave of extreme heat the weather is likely to turn more changeable this week.
Despite this, the mercury will still be predicted to reach the mid-20s for some areas, meaning millions of Brits will be tempted to have a classic summer BBQ. There is nothing better than getting your family and friends together and cooking outside in the warm weather. However, it can be annoying having to waft away pesky flies who land on your expertly barbequed meat and veggies.
It can be annoying when flies and wasps can hang around your BBQ (Image: Getty)
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To keep the annoying flies away, Brits are being urged to put a penny in a glass of water to deter the bugs.
Although this may sound rather odd, the team at GardeningExpress says this unusual trick uses light reflection to confuse flies and keep them away from serving areas and guests.
To do this simple hack, fill up a few glasses of water and drop around three pennies into each cup. Place these near your barbecue and serving area and you’ll notice the flies won’t come past them.
This unusual trick involving coins uses light reflection to confuse flies (Image: Getty)
Chris Bonnett, founder of Gardening Express said this simple trick involves using items “most of us probably already have in our homes.”
He added: “There’s nothing worse than when you’re having a nice barbecue with friends and family and there’s bugs flying about.
“They can be a real pain but there are a few inexpensive ways to keep them away.
Another hack is to hang a brown paper bag by the serving area to deter wasps.
Wasps tend to stay far away from other wasp nests so this trick is perfect to keep them away.
Simply grab a brown paper bag by where the food is being served and fill it out with some rubbish to help it resemble a wasp nest.
