Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has condemned Iran's missile strike on the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, calling it a 'reckless threat' to British interests. Two intermediate-range ballistic missiles were fired at the Chagos island base on Friday, but neither hit their target, according to Iranian state media. One missile was shot down by a US warship, while the other failed in flight, US officials reported.
Cooper stressed that the UK has 'taken a different position from the US and Israel' on the conflict and is not involved in offensive action. 'We want to see as swift as possible a resolution to this conflict,' she told broadcasters on Saturday. The government has authorised the US to use British bases for 'specific and limited defensive operations,' including strikes on Iranian missile sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that British lives were 'in danger' after Prime Minister Keir Starmer granted permission for US strikes from UK bases. 'Iran will exercise its right to self-defence,' Araghchi posted on X. The Ministry of Defence described the Iranian attacks as 'reckless' and said RAF jets and other UK assets continue to defend personnel in the region.
Diego Garcia, part of the Chagos Islands, is about 3,800 km from Iran and hosts a key US airbase. The UK recently agreed to cede sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while leasing back the base. The missile strike, if successful, would have been Iran's longest-range attack yet, as US intelligence had identified Iranian missiles capable of reaching 3,000 km.
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch criticised Starmer's decision, calling it the 'mother of all U-turns' and warning that the UK is being 'dragged into' the conflict. The Liberal Democrats and Green Party demanded a parliamentary vote on further US use of British bases. US President Donald Trump urged the UK to 'act a lot faster' in granting permission, while also pressuring NATO allies to contribute warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
