The United Kingdom authorized the United States on Friday to utilize British military bases to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz, as the war involving the US, Israel, and Iran escalates. The decision was reached during a meeting of British ministers on Friday, when the the ongoing conflict was discussed, according to a statement from Downing Street.
As the war intensifies, Europe is already feeling the economic impact. Iran has moved to block the Strait of Hormuz, and US President Donald Trump has called on NATO allies to intervene in order to clear the blockade of the critical waterway, which is essential for transporting oil and goods to Western markets.
“They confirmed that the agreement allowing the US to use UK bases in the collective self-defense of the region includes US defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement said. The UK had previously stated US forces could make use of its bases only for defensive operations aimed at preventing Iran from launching missiles that threaten British lives or interests.
Trump: “UK should have acted a lot faster”
US President Donald Trump said the United Kingdom “should have acted a lot faster,” while Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of “putting British lives in danger,” the BBC reported.
According to the same report, Iran fired two ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia, the joint US–UK base in the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean. Neither missile hit the base, The Wall Street Journal and CNN reported overnight into Saturday, citing unnamed US officials.
One missile reportedly failed during flight, while the other was intercepted by a US warship. It remains unclear when the missiles were launched, and the US military has declined to comment.
The UK will not be directly involved
The United Kingdom will not be directly involved in US strikes related to the conflict with Iran, according to a statement from Downing Street, which added that “the principles behind the UK’s approach to the conflict remain the same.”
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch described the decision as the “mother of all U-turns” in a post on X, the BBC reported. Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller said the government’s move showed the UK was “being drawn further and further down Trump’s slippery slope.”
He called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to allow Parliament to vote on the terms of the agreement with the United States regarding the use of UK bases. Green Party leader Zack Polanski likewise referred to the move as “another worrying escalation” and said members of Parliament “must be given a vote on our involvement.”
The US has used RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia, located in the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, as part of its operations.
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