MINISTERS were alerted about a US-Israel attack on Iran weeks ago but “didn’t do enough” to prepare, a former diplomat has claimed.
Ameer Kotecha, who quit his post at the British embassy in Tel Aviv this week, has said that Downing Street failed to take sufficient action despite ample notice.
Former British diplomat Ameer Kotecha speaking to Sky NewsCredit: Sky News
Air defence destroyer HMS Dragon which is not expected to sail until next weekCredit: PA
A fighter jet takes off from the U.K.’s RAF Akrotiri air in CyprusCredit: AP
The ex-diplomat told Sky News that he was “surprised” that HMS Dragon had still not been deployed to the region after the warning.
The Type 45 destroyer which can shoot down ballistic missiles is still being readied for deployment and is not due to leave until next week.
The ship still needs to be loaded with missiles, crewed and undergo some last minute maintenance.
He said: ‘It’s the politicians that make those really big calls, so I don’t want to blame the officials for that decision, but I was surprised.”
Decades of cuts to defence spending are partly to blame for the government’s limited response to the crisis alongside “poor planning”, Mr Kotecha said.
He praised the “excellent” British ambassador in Tel Aviv, Simon Walters, and said he is “very well plugged into the Israeli system”
The ambassador was aware of the probability of conflict and was “reporting those conversations back to London” he continued.
Mr Kotecha said HMS Dragon will be arriving two weeks after it is needed because the government is sticking to “a very rigid interpretation of international “.
Sir has faced backlash for taking 72 hours to deploy the Type 45 destroyer after the conflict in the Middle East began.
Mr Kotecha spent more than a decade in the Foreign, and Development Office (FCDO) and left the position on Tuesday, after he returned from Tel Aviv two weeks prior.
He said that he resigned because: “we’re instead having our entire foreign policy dictated by what the lawyers tell us international law requires.”
The system is broken, Mr Kotecha added, and has left him “ashamed to serve this Government”.
A government spokesperson told the Daily Mail: “As the Prime Minister outlined, the UK moved defensive assets to Cyprus and Qatar in January and February including fighter jets, air defence missiles and advanced radar, to ensure we were in a heightened state of readiness in advance of any conflict beginning.
“Those jets were immediately put into the sky when strikes began, and we are reinforcing our military presence in Cyprus.
Smoke rises from a warehouse in the United Arab Emirates following reports of Iranian strikes in DubaiCredit: AP
Goods are loaded onto HMS Dragon as it it prepared for deploymentCredit: AFP
“This government’s priority remains the safety of British nationals in the region and reaching a negotiated settlement on Iran.”
Sir Keir said on Tuesday that the £1billion Destroyer would be deployed after a sovereign base was hit in a drone strike but it likely won’t leave until next week.
This comes amid claims that the ship’s mission has been delayed because the
The naval base only works between 9am and 5pm on weekdays and the warship’s readiness now relies on staff picking up extra hours, The Telegraph reports.
Prospect Union has alleged that working hours were reduced as a result of cuts made by the Ministry of Defence and private company Serco.
The union’s general secretary, Mike Clancy, said: “Our members are stepping up to help, but such a vital service shouldn’t be dependent on goodwill from staff. Out-of-hours support should be locked into the contract.
“This contract has failed its first real encounter with a serious crisis, and must be urgently reviewed and rectified.”
A spokesperson previously said: “Staff are stepping up to support the operation, and all requests that have been made to Serco to support the preparation of the ship have been fulfilled.”
The Sun has approached the FCDO for comment.
The Foreign Office was reportedly told about the likelihood of a US attack weeks agoCredit: EPA
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave an update on the situation in the Middle EastCredit: Getty
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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