The United Kingdom has likely sent additional Royal Air Force aircraft to Cyprus amid an escalating conflict in the Middle East, though the British government is yet to confirm their exact location.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Sunday confirmed the country would increase its presence in the Middle East, with the BBC reporting this increased presence will include Typhoon fighter jets and air-to-air refueler aircraft.

However, a British bases spokesman was unable to confirm or deny to the Cyprus Mail whether the aircraft have been stationed in Cyprus or elsewhere in the region, and the while the Cyprus Mail attempted to contact the British defence ministry, it has not received a response.

In addition to its two sovereign base areas in Akrotiri and Dhekelia, the UK also has access to the Al Minhad airbase in the United Arab Emirates and the Al Udeid airbase in Qatar.

Starmer had announced the aircraft’s deployment while en route to the Group of Seven meeting in Canada.

“We are moving assets to the region, including jets, and that is for contingency support in the region. I will be clear-eyed in relation to our duties and obligations, and my duties as the prime minister of the United Kingdom,” he said.

He added, “we do have longstanding concerns about the nuclear programme that Iran has, and we do recognise Israel’s right to self-defence, but I am absolutely clear that this needs to de-escalate”.

Meanwhile, the country’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves had said the decision to send additional jets was a “precautionary move”.

Asked if the UK would come to Israel’s aid if asked to do so, she said that “we have, in the past, supported Israel when there have been missiles coming in.

“We’re sending in assets to both protect ourselves and also potentially to support our allies”.

The UK’s decision to bolster its presence in the region comes after Iran had warned it, the United States, and France that their bases and ships in the region will be targeted if they help to stop its missile strikes on Israel.

News agency Reuters cited Iranian state media as the source of the reports, which were widely picked up by media across the world, though the UK categorically denied any involvement in Israel’s strikes on Iran or its defence from Iranian retaliatory fire.

“Let me say clearly and unequivocally that Russia’s claims that the British sovereign bases on the island of Cyprus were in any way involved is nonsense. It is deeply irresponsible at moments like this for Russia to be spreading disinformation,” the UK’s permanent representative to the United Nations Barbara Woodward said on Saturday.

Last year, Cyprus was the likely launchpad for the military support offered by the United Kingdom to defend Israel from a volley of Iranian missiles launched at the start of October.

The British defence ministry had at the time announced that two RAF Typhoon fighter jets and one Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker “played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East”.

This, they said, demonstrated “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 ministry added.

This language largely echoed that of the UK’s Defence Secretary John Healey, who was in Cyprus at the time. He had said earlier that British forces had “played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation”.

He had added his thanks to “all British personnel involved in the operation for their courage and professionalism”, and said the UK “fully stands behind Israel’s right to defend its country and its people against threats”.

In February last year, the UK’s bases in Cyprus had been the launchpad for British bombing raids in Yemen, as the UK, together with the US, launched strikes on positions held by the Houthi movement, a Shia Islamist organisation allegedly backed by Iran which controls much of the west of Yemen.