The United States did not share exact operational details or timings with the UK before launching joint strikes with Israel on Iran, according to sources cited by the Guardian. The decision to exclude Britain from the official loop came alongside Prime Minister Keir Starmer's refusal to allow US forces to use British military bases for the operation.
President Donald Trump subsequently criticised Starmer, claiming the special relationship was not what it was and calling him “no Churchill”. Starmer has since granted permission for the US to use British bases for defensive strikes on Iran to degrade its missile capability, after Tehran retaliated against other countries in the Gulf.
Government sources said the UK was usually aligned with the US on military matters, making it unclear whether the lack of official notification was unusual. One Whitehall source confirmed that Britain knew action was imminent through the buildup of equipment and intelligence “via the usual channels”, but was not tipped off about the exact timing or operational details. The UK evacuated its Tehran embassy on Friday, signalling that strikes were expected, but received no details about when they would occur.
The strikes killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with 47 other military leaders. Trump's request to use British bases had given the UK warning that Washington was serious about proceeding with the operation.
Defending his approach during Prime Minister's Questions, Starmer said British military deployments had been under way for several weeks and that British forces were protecting US lives. “The American planes are operating out of British bases,” he said. “That is the special relationship in action. British jets are shooting down drones and missiles to protect American lives in the Middle East on our joint bases.” He added that F-35s and Typhoons had been operating since Saturday morning, including over Cyprus, defending Qatar and other regional parties.
The PM's spokesperson later said Starmer would only take decisions in Britain's national interest and that would keep British people safe. British military resources deployed included radar systems, ground-based air defences, counter-drone systems, and fighter jets.
