David Lammy blunder as Deputy PM incorrectly says Cyprus is in Nato

The Government is set to deploy air defence destroyer HMS Dragon to the region to support the UK's allies as the conflict breaks one week, alongside four Typhoon jets as announced by the PM yesterday.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, David Lammy, said: "We will do everything we can to protect our airbase, to protect out staff and people, but also alongside out allies because Cyprus is part of Nato."

During an interview with Sky News, Mr Lammy said: "Cyprus is a Nato ally, so we coordinate also with other teams and other close allies on how we equip the area", more accurately describing the nation as an ally of Nato rather than a member.

Cyprus is just one of four EU nations not a member of Nato, and the only one not to participate in Nato's Partnership for Peace program - the other nations being Austria, Ireland and Malta.

The nation houses the British base Raf Akrotiri, permitted for use by the US to enact defensive strikes on Iran, exposing Cyprus to inadvertent attacks that would likely have not occurred had the base not existed.

Mr Lammy insisted he was not embarrassed by the UK’s response to the Middle East crisis, despite the steadfast disapproval from the opposition, cabinet members, and even the public - according to YouGov polls.

Air defence destroyer HMS Dragon is not expected to sail to the eastern Mediterranean until next week, with critics claiming the government was underprepared to enter the conflict.

Asked if he was embarrassed, Mr Lammy told Sky News: “Absolutely not, we have F-35s, Typhoons in the sky taking down missiles as we speak and that has happened over Jordan, it’s happened over Qatar and of course, we will support nationals in the region.

“It’s also right to say that we co-ordinate with allies, the French, the Germans. Cyprus is a Nato ally, so we coordinate also with other teams and other close allies on how we equip the area.

“HMS Dragon will be in the region in the coming weeks to further bolster and further support our air defences".

He also said it would be legal for RAF jets to strike Iranian missile sites which could target Britons, stressing the current operations involved British planes shooting down missiles and drones which were already in the sky over allied nations.

But he indicated they could lawfully be used to hit targets within Iran to prevent the launch of attacks.

He told BBC Breakfast: “It is entirely legal to protect our people and protect our staff, and therefore all operational capability is available to us in those circumstances".

Asked if that meant the UK could attack Iranian missile sites from our bases he said: “I’m not here to act as a lawyer, but I think your viewers will understand that in response to being attacked, yes, we can take down sites that are anticipating attacking our people across the region".

He said the UK had the satellite and intelligence capability to identify Iranian sites, and when asked if the UK could fire at an Iranian base in anticipation of it launching an attack, he said: “It is my understanding that that would be legal".