UK to allow US use of British bases for ‘limited defensive purpose’, says Starmer

The UK has agreed to a US request to use British military bases for what Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as a “specific and limited defensive purpose”, according to the BBC. In a statement on Sunday, Sir Keir said the United States would be allowed to use British bases to target Iranian missile sites in order to stop further attacks across the region. He stressed that the UK was not involved in the initial US-Israel strikes on Iran and “will not join offensive action now”. “The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose,” Starmer said. “We have taken the decision to accept this request to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk.” He said the move was based on the principle of “collective self-defence” and was in line with international law. The government, he added, would publish a summary of its legal advice. ## Bases likely to include RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia The BBC reported that the US is likely to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, both of which have previously supported long-range US bombing missions. US President Donald Trump had earlier said it “may be necessary” to use the bases if Iran refused to make a deal. The US and Israel began strikes on Iran early Saturday. Tehran has since launched attacks on US assets and countries hosting American forces, including Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq. Starmer said British aircraft were already operating in the Middle East in a defensive role and had intercepted Iranian strikes. “Our partners in the Gulf have asked us to do more to defend them and it’s my duty to protect British lives,” he said. He added that around 200,000 British nationals are currently in the region, including residents and travellers, and said the government would continue efforts to support them. Officials are also considering evacuation plans if airspace closures continue.