A government-chartered repatriation flight from Oman to Britain was grounded overnight due to "problems with getting passengers on board," a minister has confirmed. The plane, intended to bring British nationals home amidst the escalating conflict in the Middle East, is now scheduled to depart Muscat for the UK on Thursday, though an exact time remains unconfirmed.
Home Office minister Alex Norris explained the delay, telling LBC: "It didn’t take off because there are operational reasons… about getting passengers on board, and it wasn’t able to happen in the time that it had to happen. So that’s now going to go today instead." Mr Norris expressed confidence that the flight would now proceed as planned.
Meanwhile, Defence Secretary John Healey is travelling to Cyprus. His visit aims to de-escalate tensions with the island's government following a recent drone strike on the British base RAF Akrotiri.
Mr Norris told BBC Breakfast earlier: “We made sure we got them (the passengers) hotel rooms for the night as well and we are facilitating and rebooking today’s flight.
“We hope that they do, and there’s multiple flights after it as well.”
Mr Healey is expected to arrive in Cyprus later on Thursday.
His visit comes after Cyprus’ high commissioner to Britain expressed his disappointment at the UK Government’s response to defending the island.
Overnight on Monday, a hangar at RAF Akrotiri was hit by an Iranian-made Shahed drone, which was launched from Beirut in Lebanon, according to Cypriot officials.
Two further drones detected on Monday were shot down by British warplanes which took off from Akrotiri.
Britain has deployed air defence destroyer HMS Dragon to help protect Cyprus, but the Type 45 warship is not expected to sail until next week.
Wildcat helicopters with anti-drone capabilities have also been dispatched to the island, and are expected to arrive there this week.
On Wednesday, Cypriot high commissioner to the UK Kyriacos Kouros said the deployment of HMS Dragon was welcome but noted it would take “more than a week” to arrive.
Asked if he thought the UK had acted with sufficient urgency to protect people living in and around the bases, he told Sky News: “The French are coming. So… the least we expect is the Britons to also be present since, as I said, we are not only defending Cypriots on the island.”
Mr Norris said the Government was taking the war “exceptionally seriously” following the criticism.
He also told the BBC: “This is a very significant situation, one that has profound implications for our nation.
“Here, we’ve moved quickly. We will continue to work with our partners in the region in our collective self-defence.”
In other developments in the war:
– Iran’s ambassador Seyed Ali Mousavi was summoned by the UK Government on Wednesday.
– A US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean.
– Iran continued to launch attacks at countries across the region, with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait targeted with missiles and drones.
– Western officials said that the rate of Iranian missile strikes had declined, assessing that Tehran had several more days of capability to continue based on the current firing rate – although they cautioned that the decrease could also be a result of Iran trying to hold back its stockpiles.
– Turkey said a “ballistic munition” launched towards it from Iran was intercepted by Nato air defences.
– Economic uncertainty continued over the conflict in a region which plays a pivotal role in international oil and gas supplies.
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