British troops helped defend a coalition air base in northern Iraq after it came under attack from a swarm of Iranian drones, defence officials said on Thursday, in the latest sign of escalating tensions between Tehran and Western forces in the Middle East.
The attack targeted the air base at Erbil on Wednesday night, where British and American personnel are stationed as part of an international mission against the Islamic State militant group. UK air-defence units shot down two drones approaching the base, but several others evaded defences and struck inside the compound, according to British military officials.
No British soldiers were injured in the assault. U.S. officials said some American troops sustained injuries.
The strike marks the third recent incident involving British forces in the region. Earlier this month, a drone targeted RAF Akrotiri, a major British military base in Cyprus, while a missile landed roughly 400 metres from British personnel at another location in Iraq.
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Defence Secretary John Healey said the attacks reflected a growing sophistication in Iran’s drone operations, warning that Tehran appeared to be adopting tactics used by Russia in its war in Ukraine.
“No one will be surprised to believe that Vladimir Putin’s hidden hand may lie behind some of the Iranian tactics and potentially some of their capabilities as well,” Healey said during a visit to Britain’s Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood.
Brigadier Guy Foden, assistant chief of staff for operations at the headquarters, described the assault as part of a coordinated wave of attacks.
“Erbil and Baghdad were both struck a number of times last night with increasing coordination,” he said. “Our personnel in Erbil were involved in defending the base and successfully shot down two unmanned aerial vehicles, although several drones did impact inside the camp.”
Erbil hosts hundreds of coalition troops and serves as a key hub for the international effort to train Kurdish security forces in the fight against Islamic State militants. A small number of British soldiers from the 2nd Battalion of The Rifles and members of the RAF Regiment are deployed there under Operation Shader, Britain’s long-running campaign against IS in Iraq and Syria.
British military leaders say Iran’s evolving drone strategy is becoming harder to counter. Lieutenant General Nick Perry, the UK’s Chief of Joint Operations, said Iranian forces appeared to be using tactics refined on the battlefield in Ukraine.
“We have definitely seen that Iranian drone tactics have learned from the Russians,” Perry said. “They are flying them much lower, which makes them more effective and harder to intercept.”
The growing use of low-flying drones has already tested Western air defences. On March 2, a drone slipped past defences at RAF Akrotiri and struck a hangar believed to house an American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. Military sources said the drone avoided detection by flying low over the sea at night amid electronic interference.
British defence officials believe the drone may have been launched by an Iranian-backed militia operating from either Iraq or Lebanon.
The latest attack comes amid a broader confrontation involving Iran, the United States and Israel that has intensified across the Middle East. Iranian leaders have threatened further strikes on Western military facilities in the region.
In a statement broadcast on Iranian state television, Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, warned Gulf states hosting American forces to close their bases or face additional attacks.
Britain has begun strengthening its military posture in response to the rising threat. More than 400 specialist air-defence personnel, F-35B stealth fighter jets and RAF Typhoon aircraft have been deployed across the region in recent weeks.
The Royal Navy has also dispatched HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer equipped with advanced missile defence systems, to the eastern Mediterranean. The warship is expected to arrive next week to help protect regional shipping lanes and allied military installations from missile and drone attacks.
British officials say further defensive measures remain under consideration as tensions across the region continue to rise.
