As the US-Israel war with Iran enters its 15th day, the UK is reportedly evaluating the deployment of thousands of interceptor drones and a nuclear attack submarine to the Strait of Hormuz.
As the intense United States and Israeli military campaign against Iran enters its "15th consecutive day," the United Kingdom is weighing significant military deployments to the Middle East to reinforce regional defenses. According to العربیه فارسی, a Saudi-owned news outlet traditionally critical of Tehran, the UK is planning to send thousands of interceptor drones and is actively considering the deployment of a nuclear submarine to the Strait of Hormuz. This potential deployment follows recent unprecedented US and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian infrastructure and the subsequent blockage of the strategic waterway.
Citing reports from The Telegraph, both outlets note that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is evaluating the dispatch of thousands of British-made "Octopus" anti-drone systems to the region. According to Iran International ایران اینترنشنال—a UK-based opposition channel known for its staunch anti-Islamic Republic stance—the Octopus system was originally slated for use by Ukraine to counter Russian drone attacks.
London defense officials are currently assessing whether the technology can be utilized to "strengthen Britain's defensive capabilities against the 'Shahed' drones of the Islamic Republic," the channel reported.
In addition to the drone systems, the UK is considering a major naval deployment to counter threats in the heavily contested Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy chokepoint. According to Al Arabiya Farsi, British officials are reviewing the possibility of deploying the HMS Anson, which the outlet describes as the UK's "only nuclear attack submarine," to the strait.
The channel highlighted the potential for offensive posturing by quoting former UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace's remarks to The Telegraph: "If our attack submarine 'HMS Anson' is present in the region, Iran can be deterred with 'Tomahawk Cruise' missiles."
Both source channels heavily rely on a primary report from the UK-based Telegraph, echoing its claims to their Farsi-speaking audiences. Al Arabiya Farsi inaccurately refers to the HMS Anson as the UK's 'only' nuclear attack submarine (the UK operates several Astute-class and Trafalgar-class submarines), but the digest faithfully reflects the channel's specific wording.