UK defence minister suggests Putin's 'hidden hand' behind Iran tactics

UK Defence Minister John Healey suggested on Thursday (12 March) that Russia was influencing Iran's use of drone attacks in its war with the United States and Israel.

Healey said Russian President Vladimir Putin's "hidden hand" may be behind some of the tactics deployed by Tehran in the Middle East conflict, which started when the United States and Israel struck Iran on 28 February.

He told reporters that officials were analysing an Iranian-made drone that hit the UK's Akrotiri air force base in Cyprus on 1 March "for any evidence of Russian or any other foreign components and parts".

"We will update you and appropriately publish any findings from that when we've got them," he said during a visit to Britain's military headquarters in Northwood, near London.

"But I think no one will be surprised to believe that Putin's hidden hand is behind some of the Iranian tactics, potentially some of their capabilities as well, not least because one world leader that is benefiting from the sky-high oil prices at the moment is Putin," he added.

Russia is a close ally of Iran, with the two agreeing last year to help each other counter "common threats".

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had no indication Russia was supporting Iran in the war, but that if they were, it was not "helping much".

Nick Perry, the British military's chief of joint operations, told Healey there were "definitively" signs of a link between Russia and Iran, including Iran's use of drones, "as learned from the Russians".

No one was injured when the drone hit a hangar at Akrotiri. British warplanes shot down a further two drones heading for the base the same day.

Guy Foden, a brigadier in the British army, briefed Healey that UK troops based at a military base housing international coalition troops in Erbil, Iraq, had helped shoot down two Iranian drones on Wednesday.