BRITAIN is drawing up plans to send hundreds of troops and an extra nuclear sub to the Gulf as tension mounts with Iran. Defence chiefs are convinced the UK will be swiftly sucked into any new conflict with Tehran's fanatical regime.
They say it is a matter of WHEN not IF war breaks out - with 18 to 24 months the likely timescale.
The Army, Royal Navy and RAF will have crucial roles if hostilities are triggered by president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's nuclear stand-off with the world.
The UK will first fly an INFANTRY battalion to the United Arab Emirates, our strong ally in the region, The Sun can reveal.
The move would be a public show of support, demonstrating that Britain is ready to defend the UAE it it comes under attack from Iran. The UAE is separated from Iran by just 34 miles of sea across the Strait of Hormuz.
Further troops could follow if our other allies Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar ask for help.
The Royal Navy has already quietly gathered seven WARSHIPS in the Gulf. HMS Daring � one of its newest and most powerful destroyers � arrived in the region last month to join Type 23 frigate HMS Argyll.
Minesweepers Pembroke, Quora, Middleton and Ramsey are based in Bahrain and a nuclear submarine is lurking in the area.
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