The British government gave authorization this Friday (20) for the United States to use military bases in the United Kingdom to carry out attacks against Iranian missile installations that are attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
British ministers met this Friday (20) to discuss the war with Iran and Iran’s blockade, according to a statement from Downing Street.
“They confirmed that the agreement for the US to use UK bases in the region’s collective self-defence includes US defensive operations to degrade missile launch sites and capabilities used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement said.
The Prime Minister said this week that the UK would not be drawn into a war with Iran.
He initially rejected a US request to use British bases for attacks on Iran, saying he needed to be sure any military action was legal.
But Starmer modified his position after Iran carried out attacks on British allies across the Middle East, saying the United States could use RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia, a joint US and UK base in the Indian Ocean.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked Starmer since the conflict began, complaining that he was not doing enough to help him.
On Monday (16), Trump said there were “some countries that have really disappointed me” before highlighting , which he said had been considered “the Rolls-Royce of the allies.”
Downing Street’s statement this Friday (20) called for “an urgent de-escalation and rapid resolution of the war”.
Opinion polls in the UK suggest widespread skepticism about the war, with 59% of those polled by YouGov saying they opposed attacks by Israel and the United States.
