The UK agreed to a US request to use British military bases for “defensive” strikes on Iranian missile sites, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
But the prime minister said the UK had learned lessons from the “mistakes of Iraq”, and was not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and “will not join offensive action now”.
Sir Keir said 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 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.
In his video statement on Sunday, Sir Keir said the US would use UK bases for the “specific and limited defensive purpose” of destroying Iran’s missiles “at source”.
He added that the move was in accordance with international law, and the UK government had published what it said was a summary of its legal advice.
It was reported last month that the British government had not given permission for the US to use UK military bases to support any potential US strikes on Iran.
US President Donald Trump said it “may be necessary” for the US to use RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia for operations should Iran “decide not to make a deal”.
Both bases have been used by the US in the past to conduct long-range heavy bombing missions.
The US and Israel began attacking Iran early on Saturday, with 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.
Sir Keir had said 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 said the UK “played no role” in the strikes.
On Sunday, he said British aircraft had successfully intercepted Iranian strikes, but added: “Our partners in the Gulf have asked us to do more to defend them and it’s my duty to protect British lives.”
He began the statement by saying it “remains the case” that the UK is “not involved in the strikes on Iran”.
At least 200,000 British citizens are in the region – including residents, those on holidays and passengers in transit, Sir Keir said – and the government “will continue to do all we can to support” them.
British people, including members of the armed forces, as well as allies, were being put at “huge risk” from Iranian strikes, he said, accusing the regime of “becoming even more reckless”.
Iranian strikes have “hit airports and hotels where British citizens are staying”, and on Saturday “hit a military base in Bahrain, narrowly missing British personnel”, Sir Keir said.
He added: “The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots, or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles.
“The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose.
“We have taken the decision to accept this request to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk, and hitting countries that have not been involved.”
Sir Keir said the move was the “best way to eliminate the urgent threat and prevent the situation spiralling further”.
The UK government has not explicitly said whether it backs the US-Israeli strikes on Iran or if it thinks they are legal.
Defence Secretary John Healey was repeatedly pressed on the issue by the BBC on Sunday morning.
He said it was the for 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”.
In what it described as a summary of its own legal position for allowing the US to use its bases, the UK government said in a statement released late on Sunday: “The UK and its allies are permitted under international law to use or support force in such circumstances where acting in self-defence is the only feasible means to deal with an ongoing armed attack and where the force used is necessary and proportionate.”
The UK, France and Germany, in a joint statement on Sunday evening, accused Iran of carrying out “indiscriminate and disproportionate” strikes.
The BBC understands UK government officials are also formulating plans to potentially evacuate British nationals from the Middle East, should airspace in the region remain closed.
By BBC News
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