UK to allow US to use British bases for defensive strikes against Iran | Keir Starmer
Keir Starmer says Britain has agreed to allow the US to use British military bases to attack Iran’s missile sites.
Britain has so far not been involved in US-Israeli attacks on Iran, but in a statement recorded on Sunday evening the prime minister said Iran’s approach was becoming more reckless and putting British lives at risk, which led to the decision to allow the US to use two military bases.
The government also published a summary of its legal position: “The United Kingdom is acting in the collective self-defence of regional allies requesting support.”
Stating that there are 200 thousand British citizens in the Middle Eastern countries targeted by Iran, Starmer said: “The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles in their warehouses or the launchers used to fire the missiles at their source.
“The US requested permission to use British bases for this specific and limited defense purpose.
“We have decided to accept this request to prevent Iran from launching missiles into the region, killing innocent civilians, risking British lives and striking countries not involved.”
He said British jets were in the air as part of coordinated defensive operations which had “already successfully thwarted Iranian attacks”.
A few hours after the Prime Minister’s announcement, it was reported that the UK’s Akrotiri air force base in Cyprus was hit by a drone.
Cyprus Post said staff at the base were informed that a “small drone” was “impacting the airspace”, but only “minor damage” occurred and there were no casualties.
In a joint statement with Britain, France and Germany published earlier on Sunday, he said: “We will take steps to defend our own interests and those of our allies in the region by enabling potentially necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s ability to fire missiles and drones at its sources.”
The UK’s deeper involvement in the conflict is likely to be controversial; Many in Labor and on the left, including Emily Thornberry, Labor chair of the foreign relations committee, said the US action violated international law.
Following Starmer’s statement on Sunday evening, the Liberal Democrats demanded that MPs be given the right to say whether the US can use British bases.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said: “No matter how the Prime Minister tries to redefine attack as defence, it is a slippery slope. He must not allow Trump to drag Britain into another protracted war in the Middle East. Starmer must come to parliament tomorrow, lay out the case in full detail and get MPs to vote.”
“We have a duty to defend our brave British troops and citizens in the region and this must be the focus of any operation. The UK must not be complicit in unlawful military action.”
Green party leader Zack Polanski previously told the BBC that the US action was an “illegal and unprovoked attack”.
However, Starmer was also under pressure from the Conservatives and Reform England to offer more support to Trump.
The UK government has refused to say it supports Trump’s military action, which the US says has killed about 48 Iranian leaders, and has refused to raise questions about whether it was legal.
At the same time, defense minister John Healey refused to condemn the attacks, saying Sunday morning that few people would mourn the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
“I think very few people will mourn the Ayatollah’s death, especially the families and friends of the thousands of protesters killed in the streets of Iranian cities,” he said.
“Iran and the regime it has long ruled are a source of evil; killing its own citizens, supporting and exporting terrorism.”
