UK forces in the Middle East region

This briefing outlines the main bases and facilities used by UK armed forces in the Middle East. It is not intended to reflect the entirety of the UK armed forces in the Middle East at any one time or active deployments.

Current major UK military operations in the Middle East

UK armed forces are involved in a number of operations in the wider Middle East region. These are:

• Operation Kipion (from 2011), a long-standing maritime security mission in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. The UK also contributes to the US-led multinational Combined Maritime Force on maritime security in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf.
• Operation Shader, the UK’s contribution to the global campaign against the terrorist group Daesh/Islamic State in Iraq and Syria since 2014.
• In May 2026 the UK and France agreed to set up a multinational defensive mission to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US/Israel-Iran conflict. Operations are intended to begin “following a sustainable ceasefire agreement”.

This list does not include humanitarian operations, such as supporting Jordanian-led airdrops of humanitarian supplies into Gaza in 2023/24 during the Israel–Hamas conflict, nor does it include details of UK forces currently engaged in training or military exercises in the region.

Additional units, notably naval vessels and aircraft, have been deployed during periods of increased tension. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not provide exact details of operational deployments because, it says, it would “harm the capability, security and operational effectiveness of UK forces”.

Major bases and facilities

Royal Air Force

The UK’s Sovereign Bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus are home to the only permanent joint operating base for the UK armed forces in the wider region. RAF combat aircraft fly from Cyprus for Operation Shader. Transport, air-to-air refuelling and reconnaissance aircraft also operate from the bases.

No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group is headquartered at Al Udeid air base in Qatar to support Operation Shader and Kipion, with units based in Oman, Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates (where it opened new facilities in March 2024). The RAF also operates a joint Typhoon squadron with the Qatari Air Force; 12 Squadron deployed to Qatar in January 2026.

Royal Navy

The Mina Salman port in Bahrain is the main naval facility in the Gulf for UK naval vessels. UK Maritime Component Command, in Bahrain, is the Royal Navy’s operational headquarters for the region.

A joint support facility in Duqm, Oman, provides a permanent maritime facility outside the Persian Gulf. It can provide maintenance and repairs to ships and provide support to an aircraft carrier group.

Army

Army units are permanently deployed to Cyprus (on a rotating basis) and can be deployed to the wider region.

A global hub in Oman

The Global Hub Oman provides logistical support for all three services in the region. The hub includes training locations for the army and facilities for testing uncrewed systems.

Numbers of personnel

Numbers of personnel in the region vary depending on operational requirements. The location of personnel permanently stationed worldwide can be found in the Ministry of Defence’s Annual Location Statistics. However, these do not reflect personnel temporarily deployed on operations.

The Ministry of Defence does not disclose the location or deployments of UK Special Forces.

Further reading on the Middle East

Commons Library briefings on the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Yemen and Iran, which include information on UK armed forces deployments and activity, can be found on the Middle East publications page.

The Commons Library’s Iran in 2026 collection provides more on the 2026 conflict, Iran, and the UK’s military and diplomatic response.

Commons Library briefings on individual countries, with information on bilateral relations and historical links with the UK, can be found on: Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.