Royal Navy soldiers have been welcomed home by their families after a four-month deployment defending RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. Military support was sent to protect the airbase following a drone attack in March amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Personnel from 820 Naval Air Squadron, based at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, patrolled the skies around Cyprus to defend UK forces. Two Merlin Mk2 airborne surveillance and control helicopters returned to Cornwall on Sunday, with a third expected later, as aircrew reunited with their families.
Families gathered at the squadron's headquarters to greet the returning crew. Captain James Hall, Commanding Officer of RNAS Culdrose, praised the aircrew and ground crew, stating that the Merlins had been "integral" to the defense of RAF Akrotiri against "ever-evolving threats from both missiles and drones."
"We were tasked to deliver – and we have delivered the results asked of us," Captain Hall said. "It is a privilege to welcome our people back to their families after uncertainty over how long the deployment would endure for." He noted that the mission was carried out at short notice, taking crews away from their usual operating environment aboard the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers. "I am immensely proud of the way they have approached this difficult task and have risen to the challenge – deploying initially at very short notice," he added.
The return of the Navy personnel coincides with heightened rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Iran. Trump indicated that more strikes against Iran were likely, calling the Tehran government "dishonourable" and stating that a recent ceasefire was "over."
His comments followed U.S. strikes on Iranian targets in response to Iran's actions against tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran claimed to have retaliated with strikes against Bahrain and Kuwait. These developments occurred shortly after Washington revoked Iran's license to sell oil, which had been issued last month following an interim ceasefire agreement.
Speaking at the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump expressed his view that dealing with Iran was a "waste of time" and referred to Iranians as "sick people." He stated that a deal with Iran might not hold due to their perceived lack of honor. When asked about continued attacks, Trump responded, "Normally I wouldn't tell you, but you know what, there's not a thing they can do about it. So, the answer is probably."
A declaration from NATO leaders at the summit emphasized that Iran must not possess nuclear weapons and called for Tehran to fully respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The renewed tensions and Trump's statements contributed to a spike in oil prices, with Brent crude oil rising by approximately 6.5% to $79 per barrel. Sir Keir Starmer, speaking on the developments, described the past few days as "challenging" and suggested that UK household bills could be affected if the situation does not improve.
The Prime Minister commented on the situation, stating that stability and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz are crucial for reducing the impact on the economy and household bills. "We've all seen the impact already on energy prices, people going to fill up at the petrol station and the forecourt can see the impact of that," he said. "So, what's really important now is not withstanding challenges that we all focus on getting back to that ceasefire, implementing the understanding and playing our part in getting the Strait of Hormuz open."
He added, "That's really important for the region, for the world, and for every single person listening to this and watching this back to the United Kingdom, because they know that their household bills are likely going to be impacted if we don't get that situation as quickly as possible."