The UK has granted a US request to use British military bases for strikes against Iranian missile sites, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed on Sunday night. The decision comes as US and Israeli operations against Iran continue following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Sir Keir stated that the US will use the bases for a "specific and limited defensive purpose" to target missile launch sites or storage depots in Iran. The bases involved include Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which has previously hosted B-52 bombers.
The Prime Minister justified the move by citing the need to protect British lives, noting that 200,000 UK citizens are in the region and that Iranian missiles had narrowly missed British personnel in Bahrain. He emphasised that Britain is not joining offensive strikes but is supporting collective self-defence.
Defence Secretary John Healey revealed that two Iranian missiles were fired towards Cyprus, where Britain maintains key bases, though it is unclear if they were deliberately targeted. He also confirmed that around 300 British military personnel were stationed near sites targeted in Bahrain.
Healey noted that Iran has organised 20 terror plots on UK soil, caused tens of thousands of deaths among its own citizens, and supplied 50,000 drones to Russia for use in Ukraine. He added that few would mourn the Ayatollah's death but expressed concern over potential regional escalation.
