Four US B-1 Lancer bombers have landed at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire to conduct "specific defensive operations" aimed at preventing Iran from firing missiles into the Middle East, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The aircraft, each capable of carrying 24 cruise missiles, arrived on Friday evening and Saturday morning after Prime Minister Keir Starmer granted permission for the US to use UK bases for defensive strikes against Iranian missile sites.
The deployment follows warnings from US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that strikes on Iran would "surge dramatically", and a demand from Donald Trump for Iran's unconditional surrender. The UK's armed forces chief, Richard Knighton, said he expected missions to launch from Fairford within days. Starmer also authorised the use of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for similar operations.
The MoD stated that the US had begun using British bases for defensive operations, and a Merlin helicopter was being sent to the Middle East for additional airborne surveillance. Starmer defended his decision to block initial offensive strikes by the US and Israel, denying it had damaged the special relationship, despite Trump's personal attack calling him "not Winston Churchill".
Reports emerged of cabinet opposition at a top-secret National Security Council meeting, with ministers including Yvette Cooper, Shabana Mahmood, Ed Miliband and Rachel Reeves reportedly against the move. However, Starmer insisted all NSC ministers supported the UK position. London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised Starmer for resisting pressure to join strikes, criticising the "war of choice" being waged without UN approval.
The UK has faced criticism from Gulf states and Cyprus for not doing enough to protect regional allies. Air defence destroyer HMS Dragon is expected to sail to the eastern Mediterranean next week, equipped for a prolonged deployment. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Starmer of being "too scared to make foreign interventions" and claimed the UK was "in this war whether Keir Starmer likes it or not".
