The UK has agreed to a US request to use British military bases for defensive strikes on Iranian missile sites, according to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
The BBC understands the US is likely to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for strikes on Iranian missile sites. The US will use the UK bases for the specific and limited defensive purpose of destroying Iran's missiles at source, Sir Keir said.
Sir Keir stated that the basis of the decision to accept the US request was the collective self-defence of allies and protecting British lives, accusing Iran of pursuing a scorched-earth strategy. The UK government has published what it said was a summary of its legal advice, stating that the UK and its allies are permitted under international law to use or support force in such circumstances.
Background
The US and Israel began attacking Iran early on Saturday, with US President Donald Trump encouraging the Iranian people to remove the country's government. The Iranian regime has responded with attacks on US assets and countries in the region with a US military presence, including Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Iraq.
At least 200,000 British citizens are in the region, including residents, those on holidays, and passengers in transit, Sir Keir said. The government will continue to do all it can to support them, he added.
UK Response
UK aircraft were in the sky in the Middle East as part of a defensive operation to protect its allies and citizens in the region, but the UK played no role in the strikes, Sir Keir said. British aircraft had successfully intercepted Iranian strikes, he added.
Defence Secretary John Healey was repeatedly pressed on the issue by the BBC on Sunday morning. He said it was for the US to set out the legal basis for its actions, and that while the UK had not taken part in the strikes, we share, however, the primary aim of all allies in the region and the US that Iran should never have a nuclear weapon.
International Reaction
The UK, France, and Germany, in a joint statement on Sunday evening, accused Iran of carrying out indiscriminate and disproportionate strikes. Several deaths are reported across the Middle East as Tehran retaliates for massive strikes by the US and Israel.
According to the BBC, UK government officials are also formulating plans to potentially evacuate British nationals from the Middle East, should airspace in the region remain closed.
