The U.S. military aircraft with a two-person crew was shot down in Iran on Friday.
As the United States expands its armada of warplanes on British soil, Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he is trying to defend Britain’s interests while keeping the country out of war.
The order gives President Trump more military options as he considers diplomacy with Iran. It is unclear where the soldiers will go in the Middle East.
There are several ways the United States could attempt to reopen the waterway, all of which carry substantial risks.
R.A.F. Fairford was the site of repeated antiwar protests during the Iraq war in 2003. Now it is being used again as a base for U.S. bombing missions in the Middle East.
The American and Israeli air forces have a dominant advantage in the skies, but Iran can still muster some resistance.
The crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire, U.S. Central Command said. All six crew members died, it said, bringing the number of U.S. service members killed in the Iran war to at least 13.
It was the first report in this conflict of Iran attempting to attack its Persian Gulf neighbors with warplanes. The incident indicates a sharp escalation in tensions between Iran and Qatar.