Keir Starmer has confirmed the UK will allow the United States to use British military bases to attack Iranian missile sites. In a recorded statement on Sunday evening, the prime minister said Iran’s approach had become more reckless and was putting British lives at risk, leading to the decision to grant the request.
Within hours of the announcement, the UK’s Akrotiri air force base in Cyprus was hit by a suspected drone. The Ministry of Defence reported only minor damage and no casualties, adding that force protection in the region was at the highest level.
The government released a summary of its legal position, stating: “The UK is acting in the collective self-defence of regional allies who have requested support.” Starmer revealed that 200,000 British people are in Middle Eastern countries being targeted by Iran, and said the only way to stop the threat was to destroy the missiles at source.
The prime minister emphasised that British jets were already in the air as part of coordinated defensive operations that had successfully intercepted Iranian strikes. He stressed that the US request was for a “specific and limited defensive purpose”.
The move has proved controversial, with the Liberal Democrats demanding a parliamentary vote. Leader Ed Davey said: “No matter how the prime minister tries to redefine offensive as defensive, this is a slippery slope. He must not let Trump drag Britain into another prolonged war.” The Green Party leader Zack Polanski described the US action as an “illegal and unprovoked attack”. Meanwhile, Defence Secretary John Healey commented that few would mourn the death of Iran’s supreme leader, calling the regime a “source of evil”.
