Footage has emerged of an Iranian drone strike on Kuwait International Airport. The attack, which occurred at dawn, has sent shockwaves through Whitehall. One can almost hear the phones ringing in the Foreign Office.
Sources indicate the drone, believed to be a Shahed-136, evaded air defences. It struck a commercial hangar. No casualties reported, but the message is clear: Tehran can reach the Gulf. And further? The Gulf is a 45-minute flight from British bases in Cyprus. That is the game.
The British response was swift. The Prime Minister's spokesperson called for an urgent global aviation security review. A classic Whitehall move. A committee? A statement? But this time, there is weight behind the words. The RAF has placed its Typhoons on standby. The F-35s at Akrotiri are being prepped. I am told the Chief of the Defence Staff is in constant contact with the Pentagon.
But here is the inside baseball. The real tension is at the UN Security Council. Russia will veto any sanctions. The US is pushing for a no-fly zone over Kuwait. Britain is caught in the middle. A senior diplomat whispered to me: 'We need a solution that looks tough but doesn't start a war. Again.'
Backbench Tories are restless. The Defence Select Committee is demanding a recall of Parliament. The usual suspects are blaming Tehran. But others are asking why our intelligence missed the drone's launch. The MI6 chief will be sweating.
What does this mean for the average voter? It is not about Kuwait. It is about the perception of security. The government's polling has dropped five points since the footage emerged. The Home Secretary is already drafting a statement on border security. The narrative is shifting. From foreign policy to domestic fear. Classic manoeuvre.
The aviation review will take months. By then, the news cycle will move on. But the backbenchers won't forget. Neither will the Iranians. They have shown they can strike a major international hub. Next time? Maybe not a hangar. Possibly a terminal. That is the nightmare scenario. And Whitehall knows it.
