A British Navy submarine, armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, has reportedly been deployed in the Arabian Sea amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, now in its third week.

This handout image taken and released by the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence on February 22, 2026 shows the HMS Anson submarine in transit as it travels to HMAS Stirling, a base in Stirling, Western Australia, near the city of Perth. (AFP)This handout image taken and released by the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence on February 22, 2026 shows the HMS Anson submarine in transit as it travels to HMAS Stirling, a base in Stirling, Western Australia, near the city of Perth. (AFP)

HMS Anson, nuclear-powered submarine, left Perth earlier this month and travelled roughly 5,500 miles to the region, the Daily Mail cited military sources as saying.

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The British submarine, armed with Tomahawk Block IV missiles and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes, can fire missiles with a range of 1,000 miles (1,600 km). Anson is the fifth of the new Astute Class submarines to join the UK Navy fleet, joining HMS Astute, Ambush, Artful and Audacious, according to the country’s Ministry of Defence. The Astute Class is the largest, most advanced and most powerful attack submarines to be ever operated by the UK Navy.

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The vessel’s positioning near the war-torn Middle East region enables it to fire missiles at Iran if the conflict escalates. There is no official word from the British Ministry of Defence on the deployment.

The UK’s move to deploy the submarine also comes amid the ongoing blockade over the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, choking the narrow-yet crucial sea passage and affecting global energy and crude oil supply.

Twenty-two nations, including the UK, have jointly condemned Iran’s attacks on ships in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz closure.

Vessel moved from Australia to Arabian Sea

HMS Anson arrived in Australia last month as part of the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the UK and the US, known as AUKUS.

The submarine left Perth earlier this month and travelled roughly 5,500 miles to the region, according to the Daily Mail report.

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The report said that the submarine surfaces periodically to communicate with the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood, London where any launch order would be authorised by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and conveyed by the chief of joint operations.

The deployment comes after the British government authorised the US to use UK bases for strikes on Iranian sites threatening the Strait of Hormuz.