Four US B-1 Lancers have arrived 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 measuring 45 metres in length and capable of carrying 24 cruise missiles, landed on Friday evening and Saturday morning after Prime Minister Keir Starmer granted permission for the US to use UK bases for defensive action against Iranian missile sites.
The deployment follows a warning from US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that strikes on Iran were “about to surge dramatically”, with more fighter squadrons and bomber missions expected. The UK’s armed forces chief, Richard Knighton, said missions from the Gloucestershire base could begin within days. The prime minister also agreed to allow the US to operate from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, while a Merlin helicopter has been dispatched to the Middle East for additional airborne surveillance.
Starmer has defended his decision to approve only defensive operations, rejecting reports of cabinet opposition at a national security council meeting. However, London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised him for resisting pressure to join offensive strikes, criticising a “war of choice” without UN approval or a clear strategy. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the prime minister of being “too scared to make foreign interventions”, asserting that the UK is already involved in the conflict.
In a separate development, the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon is not expected to reach the eastern Mediterranean until next week, as it is being equipped for an extended deployment. The moves come amid ongoing Iranian retaliatory strikes against Israel and Gulf countries, and after a drone attack on RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
