UK PM Keir Starmer Permits US to Use British Military Base to Strike Iranian Missile Sites
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has formally announced that the United Kingdom has agreed to permit the United States to use British military bases to strike Iranian missile sites. This strategic decision marks deeper UK involvement amid escalating Middle Eastern tensions.
In a statement released on Sunday evening, Starmer emphasised that the decision was made because Iran’s approach was increasingly reckless and posed a danger to British citizens. Whilst the UK had previously not been directly involved in US-Israeli strikes, circumstances have now changed in the interests of national security.
Within hours of the announcement, RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, a British air base, came under attack from unmanned drones. Defence and intelligence experts described the incident as a possible one-way drone attack by Iran. The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed the base sustained minor damage with no casualties. “The protection of our forces in that region is at the highest level, and the base has responded to protect our personnel,” a ministry spokesperson stated.
The British government released a legal position summary asserting that this action constitutes a form of collective self-defence for regional allies requesting support. Starmer noted that approximately 200,000 British citizens in Middle Eastern countries now face threats from Iran.
“The only way to stop this threat is to destroy the missiles directly at source, whether in storage facilities or the launchers used to fire them,” Starmer asserted.
He added that the United States had requested specific permission to use British bases for limited defensive purposes. “We have decided to accept this request, to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, endangering British lives, and attacking uninvolved nations.”
Starmer’s decision has sparked criticism from both within his party and from opposition parties. Emily Thornberry, chair of the Labour Party’s Foreign Affairs Committee, argued that US actions violated international law.
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called for parliament to be given a vote on the military base authorisation. He warned against the UK being drawn into a prolonged war by Donald Trump. “The Prime Minister must not allow Trump to drag Britain into another long war in the Middle East,” Davey stated.
Conversely, Starmer faced pressure from the Conservative Party and Reform UK to provide greater support to British allies. Defence Secretary John Healey signalled the government’s firm stance towards the Iranian regime, describing it as a source of evil sponsoring terrorism.
Tensions between the United States and Iran reached a peak after final diplomatic efforts in Geneva ended without agreement. US President Donald Trump stated that American military operations against Iran are estimated to last approximately four weeks, or possibly shorter. China has strongly condemned the US and Israeli strikes that reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israeli media and Netanyahu reported that Khamenei died in the strike targeting his residence complex in Tehran. The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting to discuss the Israel-US strikes on Iran, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres warning of the risk of regional conflict that could destabilise stability.