Britain opts out of involvement in US operations near Israeli coast

The US is deploying extra military assets near Israel to protect it from a strike by Iran that could come as soon as this weekend, the Telegraph reports.

Officials said they had implemented “force posture changes” and deployed “additional assets” to the region in light of threats by Tehran to strike Israeli territory in retaliation for an air strike on its consulate in Damascus last week.

On April 12, the Pentagon was said to have been expecting an attack in the next 48 hours, which raised the prospect of a direct conflict between Iran and Israel for the first time.

President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed.

However, Britain has no plans to participate in the alleged American operation.

A Royal Navy source told the Telegraph it had no plans to join US operations off the coast of Israel.

The UK has two warships in the region, with HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer, operating in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen.

A second Royal Navy warship, HMS Lancaster, is deployed in the Arabian Sea to counter drug and weapon smuggling.