Mohale FM The United Kingdom has agreed to a request from the United States to allow British military bases to be used for “defensive” strikes against Iranian missile stockpiles, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a video statement released on Sunday.
Starmer emphasized that the UK was not involved in the initial attacks on Iran. However, he said Iran’s continued missile strikes in the Gulf region have put British citizens, tourists, and military personnel at risk. He added that the UK has learned from the mistakes made during the Iraq War and would not take part in offensive military action.
He explained that stopping the threat requires targeting the missiles at their source — either in storage facilities or at launch sites. British bases, he said, would only be used for this limited defensive purpose.
The announcement came just hours before a drone attack struck the UK’s RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus.
Starmer also said the UK would work with experts from Ukraine to support Gulf partners in intercepting Iranian drones.
Meanwhile, in an interview with The Telegraph, US President Donald Trump said he was disappointed that the UK had initially blocked the use of its bases in the Chagos Islands and Cyprus. Trump reportedly said the UK delayed its decision and suggested that Starmer may have had concerns about the legal implications.
