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Britain moving additional military assets to Middle East — PM

Britain already has fighter jets in the Middle East as part of an operation to counter threats in Iraq and Syria

LONDON, June 14. /TASS/. The UK is moving additional military assets, including fighter jets, to the Middle East amid the escalation in the region, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters as he was en route to a Group of Seven meeting in Canada.

"We are moving assets to the region, including jets, and that is for contingency support in the region," Starmer was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Britain already has fighter jets in the Middle East as part of an operation to counter threats in Iraq and Syria. Crews began deployment preparations on Friday morning, a spokesperson for the prime minister said.

Overnight into June 13, Israel kicked off Operation Rising Lion aimed against Iran’s nuclear program. The Israel Defense Forces said that 200 fighter jets attacked more than 100 targets in Iran, including nuclear facilities.

On the evening of June 13, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that Iran retaliated by attacking dozens of targets in Israel with missiles, including military facilities and air bases, striking, in particular, the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv. Israel said some targets were hit but most of the missiles were intercepted.