US bombers have reportedly left the UK as the Middle East conflict looks set to intensify. The bombers left the UK shortly after US President Donald Trump threatened strikes on Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility, according to Iranian news outlet The Hormuz Letter.
The claim was shared in a post on X, accompanied by footage of an aircraft overhead.
Burnham approves US use of UK bases
It comes after the UK's new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, approved the use of British military bases by the US for certain strikes against Iran. The decision follows a similar policy set by Burnham's predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer. It qualifies the strikes as "defensive" rather than an active war, according to a Bloomberg report.
Burnham's office has not issued an official statement regarding the decision.
Trump threatens Iranian nuclear site
Trump warned on Tuesday, July 21 that the Iranian nuclear site in Pickaxe Mountain could become a target if a diplomatic resolution was not reached. Pickaxe Mountain, located some 140 miles south of Tehran, acts as a shield for an underground tunnel complex.
The Middle Eastern country publicly announced its intention to have nuclear activity at Pickaxe Mountain as "part of their quite systematic intention to put their most sensitive facilities underground," International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi told PBS earlier this year.
Background of the conflict
Iran's nuclear capabilities remain a point of contention in the war, which sparked after the US and Israel carried out joint strikes on several key Iranian sites on February 28 and Iran retaliated by closing the Strait of Hormuz and attacking sites across the region.
On June 17, the US and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bring the war to a close within 60 days. Washington and Tehran were working towards securing a lasting peace agreement to bring the conflict to an end, restore international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and seek to settle an ongoing dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme.
The Daily Express recently reported that Iran announced its full withdrawal from the MoU on what it said was American violations, while Trump said the ceasefire was "over" days earlier.
Trump-Burnham conversation
Trump on Monday, July 20, shared the details of his conversation with Burnham. Trump said that the two leaders discussed four pertinent issues, among other topics: North Sea oil, trade, the military alliance and the demining of the Strait of Hormuz.
