Keir Starmer Gives United States Permission To Use UK Bases To Strike Iranian Targets

The prime minister said he was "protecting British interests and British lives".

Keir Starmer has given the United States permission to use UK military bases to attack targets in Iran.

The prime minister said he was “protecting British interests and British lives” after Iran launched missile attacks on countries across the Middle East.

That came after the US and Israel bombed Iran in a wave of strikes which killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei as well as other senior regime officials.

In a statement from Downing Street, Starmer insisted the UK was not involved in the initial attacks on Iran.

He said: “We all remember the mistakes of Iraq. And we have learned those lessons.

“We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran, and we will not join offensive action now.

“But Iran is pursuing a scorched earth strategy. So we are supporting the collective self-defence of our allies and our people in the region, because that is our duty to the British people.

“It is the best way to eliminate the urgent threat and prevent the situation spiralling further.

“This is the British government protecting British interests and British lives.”

Starmer said there are around 200,000 British citizens in the Gulf region, and that Iran’s actions were putting their lives at risk.

“Over the last two days, Iran has launched sustained attacks across the region at countries who did not attack them,” he said.

“They have hit airports and hotels where British citizens are staying. This is clearly a dangerous situation.”

Iran also hit a military base in Bahrain on Saturday, “narrowly missing British personnel”, the PM said.

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