MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United Kingdom will deploy additional military personnel in the Middle East amid tensions in the region after the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, the country's government said.
"Military personnel are also in the process of deploying to the region to provide Embassies with operational support to help British nationals," read a statement from Whitehall.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said it had received a report of a distress signal from a vessel proceeding 170 nautical miles (195 miles) southwest of the Yemeni port of Aden.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discussed military cooperation with his UK counterpart John Healey Friday as Western countries seek to protect Israel as it escalates tensions in the Middle East. Iran enjoys the right under international law to launch a retaliatory strike against Tel Aviv after the Zionist state launched an attack on sovereign Iranian territory earlier this week.
The United Kingdom and Israel significantly upgraded relations in 2021 to "strategic partnership" status. The British government has been criticized for its foundational role in unrest in the Levant, which it provoked in 1917 by granting its colonial holdings in Palestine to Zionist settlers. The UK has continued to back Israel diplomatically and militarily, although the modern armed forces of the former colonial power are considered relatively weak.
Earlier this week Hamas confirmed that Haniyeh had been killed in an Israeli attack on his residence in Tehran after he took part in the inauguration of newly elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Hamas blamed Israel and the United States for the highly provocative attack on its territory and vowed to retaliate.
Israel has also launched attacks on civilian targets in Yemen and Lebanon this week, killing Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.