UK allows US to use bases for Iran strikes

The UK has agreed to a US request to use British military bases for what Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described as “specific and limited defensive” strikes on Iranian missile sites.

Sir Keir said the UK was not involved in the initial US and Israeli strikes on Iran and “will not join offensive action now,” but had accepted the US request on the basis of collective self-defence and the protection of British lives. He added that lessons had been learned from the “mistakes of Iraq.”

The BBC understands the US is likely to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for operations targeting Iranian missiles. Both bases have previously been used by the US for long-range heavy bombing missions.

In a video statement on Sunday, Sir Keir said the US would use UK bases to destroy Iran’s missiles “at source,” including in storage depots and launch sites. He said the decision was in line with international law and that the government had published a summary of its legal advice.

Last month, reports suggested the British government had not granted permission for US use of its bases in any potential strike on Iran. However, US President Donald Trump had indicated it “may be necessary” to use RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia if Iran chose not to reach a deal.

The US and Israel began attacking Iran early on Saturday, with Trump calling on the Iranian people to remove their government. Iran has since responded with strikes on US assets and countries hosting US forces in the region, including Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq.

Sir Keir said UK aircraft were operating in the Middle East as part of a defensive mission to protect allies and British citizens, but stressed the UK had “played no role” in the strikes on Iran. On Sunday, he said British aircraft had intercepted Iranian attacks and that Gulf partners had requested further support.

He warned that at least 200,000 British citizens are currently in the region, including residents, holidaymakers and transit passengers, and said the government would continue efforts to support them.

According to the prime minister, Iranian strikes have hit airports and hotels where British nationals were staying and narrowly missed British personnel at a military base in Bahrain. He accused Iran of pursuing a “scorched-earth strategy” and becoming “even more reckless.”

“The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source,” he said, adding that accepting the US request was intended to prevent further missile launches that could kill civilians, endanger British lives and strike countries not involved in the conflict.