The British government authorized the United States to use military bases in the UK, including RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia, to strike Iranian missile sites targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. This decision followed Iran's strikes on British allies, despite Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially rejecting the US request on legal grounds.
Key points
- The authorization covers US defensive operations to degrade missile sites used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
- British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warned her Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi against further attacks on British bases, including Akrotiri in Cyprus, which was hit by a drone.
- Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi stated that allowing US operations from UK bases makes the UK a party to the conflict.
- Opinion polls in Britain suggest 59% opposition to the US-Israeli attacks, according to a YouGov survey.
Why it matters
This move signals a significant shift in the UK's stance on military involvement in the escalating conflict with Iran, potentially deepening the international dimension of the crisis in the Middle East.