Western allies boost military deployments in Middle East amid Iran war

2026-03-05 - 12:23

Shafaq News France on Thursday announced it had temporarily authorized US military aircraft to use some of its bases in the Middle East, as Western and allied nations move closer to deeper involvement in the escalating conflict. A spokeswoman for the French military general staff told AFP the aircraft “contribute to the protection of our partners in the Gulf.” The move came on the sixth day of coordinated US-Israeli strikes on Iran, designated Operation Epic Fury by Washington and Operation Roaring Lion by Israel. The campaign has left hundreds dead and targeted Iran’s leadership, military infrastructure, and nuclear and missile facilities. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening strikes on February 28, and Tehran has responded with waves of missiles and drones against Israel and US bases across the Gulf. President Emmanuel Macron earlier ordered the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its strike group to move from the Baltic Sea to the eastern Mediterranean and deployed the frigate Languedoc off Cyprus. Rafale fighter jets based at France’s Al-Dhafra airbase near Abu Dhabi have flown combat air patrols to secure French installations after a drone struck a hangar at a French naval facility near Abu Dhabi port. Macron revealed that French forces shot down drones “in legitimate self-defence in the very first hours of the conflict.” European Naval Buildup The conflict has triggered a wider European military response, particularly around Cyprus. A drone strike on Britain’s RAF Akrotiri base on March 1, attributed to Iran or its ally in Lebanon Hezbollah, prompted a rapid deployment of European naval and air assets. Britain authorized the United States to use British bases for defensive operations and dispatched the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon along with counter-drone helicopters to defend Akrotiri. British bases in Cyprus, Bahrain, and Qatar have all been targeted. Greece deployed two frigates, including the newly commissioned Kimon, a French-built FDI-class vessel equipped with Aster 30 missiles and Sea Fire radar, along with F-16 fighter jets to help defend Cyprus. Defence Minister Nikos Dendias vowed that Greece would “contribute in every possible way to the defence of the Republic of Cyprus.” Spain announced it would send the frigate Cristobal Colon, currently sailing with the French carrier group in the Baltic, to the eastern Mediterranean. The vessel is expected to reach Crete by March 10. Madrid has otherwise been one of the most vocal critics of the US-Israeli campaign, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez calling the strikes “unjustifiable” and refusing to allow Spanish bases to be used. President Donald Trump responded by threatening to sever trade ties with Spain, triggering a diplomatic dispute that Spanish officials later denied. Italy is also weighing involvement. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and senior officials discussed sending the destroyer Caio Duilio to Cyprus during an emergency meeting in Rome, though no final decision has been announced. The European Union said its Operation Aspides naval mission in the Red Sea had seen a surge in protection requests and would be reinforced with additional ships. NATO and Turkiye NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized that Europe supports the US action and that the alliance would “defend every inch of NATO territory.” NATO missile defence systems across Europe have been placed on heightened alert, including the Aegis Ashore site in Romania, US Navy destroyers based in Rota, Spain, a missile defence installation in Poland, and an early-warning radar at Kurecik in Türkiye. Bloomberg reported NATO AWACS surveillance aircraft operating from Konya Airport, though Ankara denied supporting the strikes. Turkiye itself was drawn into the conflict on Wednesday when an Iranian ballistic missile fired toward Turkish airspace was intercepted by NATO air defence systems over the eastern Mediterranean. Canada, Australia, New Zealand Canada has not ruled out possible participation. Prime Minister Mark Carney said in Canberra that Canada would stand by allies when necessary but emphasized that support was “not a blank cheque.” Australia has deployed a C-17A Globemaster, a KC-30A tanker, and crisis response teams to assist in evacuating roughly 115,000 Australian nationals from the Middle East. Foreign Minister Penny Wong stressed that Australia would not participate in combat operations. New Zealand has also dispatched two military aircraft to support evacuation efforts in the region.