UK deploys Rapid Sentry air defence to Kuwait after drone attack

Britain is deploying its Rapid Sentry air defence system to Kuwait to help safeguard British and Kuwaiti interests in the Gulf, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said, following an overnight Iranian drone strike on a Kuwaiti oil facility.

The decision was discussed during a phone call between Starmer and Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah, according to a Downing Street spokesperson, Reuters reports.

“The Prime Minister began by condemning the reckless overnight drone attack on a Kuwaiti oil refinery,” the spokesperson said. “He reiterated that the UK stands with Kuwait and all our allies in the Gulf.”

The two leaders also reviewed the deployment of the Rapid Sentry system, which is designed primarily to intercept drones and other low-flying aerial threats. The system is intended to protect both Kuwaiti and British personnel and assets in the region, while avoiding escalation into a broader conflict.

In addition to security cooperation, the leaders addressed disruptions to global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. They welcomed a meeting chaired by British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on April 2 aimed at developing a plan to reopen the critical maritime route.

By Vafa Guliyeva