Defence secretary twice declines to rule out Britain joining strikes on Iran

Defence secretary John Healey has twice declined to rule out Britain joining strikes on Iran, when asked by Sky News.

He also said he'd had the option of deploying HMS Dragon to the Mediterranean for weeks. Interviewed at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, the minister was asked by Sky's Europe correspondent Ali Bunkall if he could rule out Britain joining the conflict in an offensive capacity.

He responded: "As circumstances in any conflict change, you've got to be willing to adapt the action you take." Iran war latest: First UK evacuation flight departsPolitics latest: PM to 'stand firm' by British values Mr Healey then listed defensive measures that were being taken, including the use of anti-drone helicopters, deploying HMS Dragon to the eastern Mediterranean, and bringing in planners to co-ordinate an international response. Pressed on whether he would rule out British aircraft taking part in offensive operations over Iran, Mr Healey again demurred.

"Everything that we have done is defensive, is legal, and is coordinated with other allies," he said. The minister's visit to the island comes after a drone attack on RAF Akrotiri on Monday, with two more UAVs intercepted en-route to the base later that day.

During his visit, Mr Healey met with his Cypriot counterpart Vasilis Palmas "to discuss how the UK is further reinforcing our air defences to support our shared security.