The UK has agreed to a US request to allow American forces to use its military bases for operations against Iranian missile sites, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday.
In a statement on social media, Starmer said he has authorized the move “to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk, and hitting countries that have not been involved.”
He described the decision as being for a “specific and limited defensive purpose” focused on Iran’s missile launch sites and storage facilities.
Last month, US President Donald Trump publicly criticized the UK after British officials declined to allow US forces to use US military bases such as RAF Fairford in England and the joint US-UK base at Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean for potential pre-emptive strikes on Iran, saying restrictions on use of the facilities could hinder US planning.
The UK has not taken part in direct strikes on Iran but has carried out defensive actions since Saturday, including intercepting Iranian drones targeting northern Iraq and Qatar. Starmer stressed the country would not be directly involved in offensive operations against the Iranian regime.
Despite its name, RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, southwest England, is operated exclusively by the US Air Force under a longstanding UK-US defense agreement. Any combat missions launched from British territory require the explicit consent of the UK government, giving London ultimate authority over whether the base can be used for offensive operations.
The strategically positioned base at Diego Garcia played a key role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and in subsequent strikes against Islamist militants in Afghanistan and Iraq.