UK deploys nuclear-powered submarine armed with Tomahawk missiles in Arabian Sea amid US-Iran war: Report

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

Updated on: Mar 22, 2026, 10:18:06 IST

Edited by Majid Alam

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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)

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.

Follow latest updates on US-Iran conflict

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Majid Alam
Majid Alam is a Chief Content Producer working at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi. He currently heads shifts at online desk and manages homepage apart from writing, editing and curating articles. With over six years of experience in journalism, Majid has navigated national, politics and international news. His work primarily focuses on the politics of the Hindi heartland, government policies, and South Asia. He also writes on US and Europe’s policies vis-à-vis India. Before joining Hindustan Times, Majid worked at ABP LIVE as the Chief Copy Editor and at News18, where he managed the World and Explainers sections. His articles have featured in Dialogue Earth, The Quint, BMJ, The Diplomat, and Outlook India. Majid has a keen interest in the use of data for storytelling. Majid holds a Masters in Convergent Journalism from Jamia Millia Islamia. He was awarded the Erasmus+ scholarship to study International Affairs at Sciences Po, Paris in 2020. He is also part of the OCEANS Network, an alumni network of Erasmus+ exchange scholars. He is currently serving as the National Representative (India) at the OCEANS Network. Apart from journalism, Majid has a flair for academic writing and loves to teach. He has published a book chapter: 'Bombay Cinema and Postmodernism' in the book: 'Handbook of Research on Social and Cultural Dynamics in Indian Cinema.' He was also part of the OCEANS Network delegation to Hanoi National University of Education in Vietnam in 2025. He has also given guest lecture in digital journalism at AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia.Read More

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