RAF move jets amid concerns these four countries could spark conflict

RAF jets were moved away from the conflict in Russia to help bolster efforts to defend Israel – as the UK defence secretary warns of four countries that could spark further conflict.

The Typhoon aircraft were redeployed from Romania to take part in an operation to defend against Tehran’s drone and missile barrage on Israel this weekend.

The redeployed RAF planes were involved in shooting down kamikaze drones launched by Iran towards Israel this weekend.

A spokesman said: ‘Those jets shot down a number of one-way Iranian attack drones over Iraq and Syria.’

They added: ‘Allied air forces continue to patrol Nato airspace to ensure it is protected from all threats and we have coordinated with Nato and our allies… to ensure there is no gap in Romania.’

Yet the decision to move UK jets to another location has once again put the UK’s defence budget under the spotlight with resources stretched around the world’s hotspots.

Rishi Sunak has committed to increase defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product – a measure of the size of the economy – when conditions allow.

It comes as Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has also warned that 2024 must be an ‘inflection point’ in how the UK responds to international threats.

He said: ‘The era of the peace dividend is over,’ citing Russia, China, Iran and North Korea as potential flashpoints over the next five years.

Warnings about the ‘agent of chaos’ Iran have been issued for months – beginning after three US soldiers were killed in February.

Iran has spent years growing their proxies in Syria, Iraq and Yemen – and reaching into Western countries as well – yet western governments have been critcised for slow responses.

MP for Rutland and Melton, Alicia Kearns, is chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and told Metro.co.uk the UK needs to look at a different approach to address Iran’s aggression and meddling across the globe.

‘We need to publicly recognise that Iran has absolutely no interest in the people of Palestine – it is an agent of chaos and an agent of terrorism that is using Israel and Gaza as a “recruiting sergeant” for itself,’ she said

Behnam Ben Taleblu is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and echoed Ms Kearns thoughts on the danger Iran poses.

Mr Taleblu said: ‘All of these (western) countries need to sanction and prescribe Hezbollah, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Houthis and the IRGC as terrorist organizations – using their own national counter terrorism laws.’

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