A British nuclear-powered submarine armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles has taken up position in the Arabian Sea, providing the United Kingdom with the capability to launch long-range strikes should tensions in the region escalate, the Daily Mail reported on Saturday.
Reuters, which cited the Daily Mail, said it could not immediately verify the report. The British Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
According to the Daily Mail, HMS Anson, which carries Tomahawk Block IV missiles and Spearfish torpedoes, departed Perth earlier this month and travelled approximately 5,500 miles to reach the region.
The report stated that the submarine periodically surfaces in order to communicate with the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood. Any order to launch missiles would be authorized by the prime minister and transmitted by the chief of joint operations.
News of the deployment of the submarine comes a day after the UK approved the United States' use of British bases to launch strikes targeting Iranian sites in the Strait of Hormuz.
This decision marks an expansion from the previously limited authorization for US forces to use UK bases only for defensive operations aimed at preventing Iranian missile attacks that threatened British interests or lives.
Downing Street confirmed that ministers agreed to extend the scope of US operations to include protection for ships navigating the vital Strait of Hormuz, which has become a flashpoint due to Iranian actions. However, the UK will not directly participate in any strikes, and Downing Street emphasized that "the principles behind the UK's approach to the conflict remain the same."
The UK bases that will be used by US forces include RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. The US had previously faced criticism from President Donald Trump for NATO allies' reluctance to offer warships to reopen the Hormuz shipping channel. Trump had argued that reopening the strait would be a relatively simple military task with minimal risk.