British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday granted permission for the U.S. to use U.K. bases for what he described as purely defensive strikes against Iranian missiles launched against targets in the Middle East.
The U.K. earlier blocked the American military’s use of British bases such as Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean as launch sites for strikes against Iran, saying it could be a violation of international law. In a video statement posted on X, Mr. Starmer said the circumstances on the ground have changed since then.
“Over the last two days, Iran has launched sustained attacks across the region at countries who did not attack them. They’ve hit airports and hotels where British citizens are staying,” he said. “This is clearly a dangerous situation. We have at least 200,000 British citizens in the region, residents, families on holiday and those in transit.”
British military personnel have also been put at risk. On Saturday, an Iranian missile attack on a base in Bahrain almost hit several U.K. personnel.
“Their approach is becoming even more reckless and more dangerous to civilians,” Mr. Starmer said. “Our partners in the Gulf have asked us to do more to defend them. The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at the source, in their storage depots or the launchers that are used to fire the missiles.”
He said the U.S. has asked for permission to use British bases for “that specific and limited defensive purpose.”
“We have taken the decision to accept this request, to prevent Iran from firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk, and hitting countries that have not been involved,” Mr. Starmer said. “We are not joining these strikes, but we will continue with our defensive actions in the region.
The basis of his decision, Mr. Starmer said, was the collective self-defense of longstanding friends and allies and protecting British lives.
“Iran is pursuing a scorched earth strategy,” he said. “It is the best way to eliminate the urgent threat and prevent the situation from spiraling further.”
