Iran’s naval forces intercepted a British destroyer allegedly conducting a spying mission in the northern Indian Ocean and forced it to change course—marking a significant escalation that reflects the growing sensitivity of the regional military scene amid ongoing strikes between Iran and Israel.

According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency on Saturday, Iranian naval reconnaissance systems detected the British destroyer, which—according to the Iranian statement—was attempting to coordinate Israeli missile strikes on Iranian territory. The report added that Iranian drones issued direct warnings to the vessel, which led it to retreat and abandon its path.

At the same time, Tehran intensified its warnings to Washington, London, and Paris, cautioning that any military intervention by these nations to block ongoing Iranian strikes against Israel would be met with an immediate response—including targeting Western military bases and warships in the Gulf and Red Sea. The semi-official Mehr news agency quoted official sources saying that Iran has informed the three capitals of its intent to continue its “broad strikes”, warning that any attempt to obstruct them would be met with a “direct and painful” retaliation.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Saturday that the UK is deploying additional military assets to the Middle East, including fighter jets, to provide emergency support amid rising regional tensions, ahead of his participation in the G7 summit in Canada.

In Washington, Politico magazine revealed that the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) has decided to reposition two destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean, amid growing fears of a broader confrontation—particularly with Iran threatening to target U.S. bases if they intercept missiles launched toward Israel.

On the ground, Israel continues its wide-scale military operation dubbed “Rising Lion”, which includes airstrikes on nuclear and missile sites within Iran and the assassination of over 20 Iranian military commanders, according to statements by the Israeli military. The army also confirmed the killing of nine senior Iranian nuclear scientists, some of whom were considered key figures in Iran’s nuclear program.

An Israeli intelligence official told Fox News that Israel still has “more surprises” in store for Iran, noting that Tehran could possess an arsenal of up to 8,000 ballistic missiles within two years—up from around 2,000 today—which he cited as a major motivation behind the military campaign.

The open confrontation between Tehran and Tel Aviv, which began with a massive Israeli strike on Friday, is now raising fears of a broader regional explosion, especially as the scope of targets and retaliations expands, and with international and regional powers increasingly entangled in the conflict.