The RAF is reported to be undertaking secret missions to trace Iran-financed terror organisations smuggling arms to Hamas and Hezbollah. British aircraft are believed to be focused on finding rockets and missiles that are being sent from Iraq and Syria to Iran’s proxy forces, which are fighting Israel.
The RAF’s Typhoons are being tasked with garnering intel on the Iranian regime’s dealings in the Middle East, The Times reports. A military source said: “We suspect these could be some Iranian-backed militia groups manoeuvring weapons through Iraq and Syria to bolster up Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.”
Ever since Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on October 7 and committed the worst atrocity on the Jewish state since its inception, Tehran has been financing other terrorist entities in Lebanon and Yemen, according to reports.
Lebanese terror group Hezbollah and the Yemeni Houthi rebels both receive financial backing from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, allowing them to threaten to open up a new front against Israel. Both groups are part of Iran’s “Axis or Resistance” and have been striking US and Israeli targets.
Meanwhile the US has vetoed calls in the UN for an immediate ceasefire. Of the 15 UN security council member states, 13 backed the call for the laying down of weapons. However the UK abstained and the UN blocked the move.
It came as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had warned of a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza. He argued Gaza is at a “breaking point”. Guterres said there was a serious threat of starvation and a risk of “mass displacement into Egypt”.
UK ambassador to the UN Dame Barbara Woodward said Britain backs “further and longer pauses” to get aid to Palestinians and to allow the release of Israeli hostages. But she argued to the council that “we cannot vote in favour of a resolution which does not condemn the atrocities Hamas committed against innocent Israeli civilians” in October.
“Calling for a ceasefire ignores the fact that Hamas has committed acts of terror and is still holding civilians hostage,” she added, in explaining why Britain abstained.
Ziad Issa, head of humanitarian policy at ActionAid UK, said: “It is devastating to see the UK miss this critical opportunity to vote to call for a permanent ceasefire and end the unbearable suffering of 2.3 million people in Gaza.
“With aid operations no longer able to meaningfully function anywhere in the territory and infrastructure on the brink of collapse, now is the moment for international action. The scenes in Gaza have rightfully been described as apocalyptic. How much more death and destruction will it take before leaders put humanity first and decide enough is enough?”
