LONDON, April 3 (Reuters) - Britain is deploying its Rapid Sentry air defence system to Kuwait to help protect British and Kuwaiti interests in the Gulf, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said on
UK Deploys Rapid Sentry Air Defence to Kuwait Following Oil Facility Attack
Britain's Response to Kuwaiti Oil Facility Attack
Deployment of Rapid Sentry Air Defence System
LONDON, April 3 (Reuters) - Britain is deploying its Rapid Sentry air defence system to Kuwait to help protect British and Kuwaiti interests in the Gulf, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said on Friday, after an overnight Iranian drone attack on a Kuwaiti oil facility.
Diplomatic Discussions Between UK and Kuwait
Starmer discussed the deployment in a call with Kuwait's Crown Prince Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah on Friday morning, a Downing Street spokesperson said.
Condemnation of Drone Attack
"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."
Purpose and Scope of the Deployment
The spokesperson said the leaders discussed the deployment of the UK's air defence system - designed primarily to shoot down drones and other low-flying aerial threats - to Kuwait, which would protect Kuwaiti and British personnel and interests in the region, while avoiding escalation into a wider conflict.
Broader Regional Security Concerns
Starmer and the crown prince also discussed disruption to global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and welcomed a meeting chaired by British foreign minister Yvette Cooper on Thursday to draw up a plan to reopen the vital shipping route.
(Reporting by Sam TabahritiEditing by Tomasz Janowski)
