The United States has begun using British military bases for certain operations linked to the conflict with Iran, the UK government said on Saturday, March 7.
According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the facilities are being used for “specific defensive operations to prevent Iran from launching missiles into the region.” Prime Minister Keir Starmer had initially declined to allow Britain to take part in the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran when the conflict began on February 28.
However, he later approved a request from Washington permitting the use of two British military installations for what officials described as a “specific and limited defensive purpose.” The bases involved are RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and the joint UK-US base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
A B-1B Lancer bomber was seen landing at RAF Fairford on Saturday, March 7, according to an AFP photographer, while a C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft was also spotted on the runway. Anti-war protesters gathered outside the base to demonstrate against the military activity.
The move followed tensions between Starmer and former US president Donald Trump, who had earlier criticised Britain’s reluctance to back the campaign. Trump said he was “not happy with the UK” and mocked the British prime minister, saying “this is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”
Starmer defended his earlier position, arguing that any British military involvement must have a clear legal basis and a well-defined strategy. He later said allowing the use of the bases was justified because Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone attacks after the US-Israeli strikes were beginning to threaten British interests and allies in the region.
The issue has been politically sensitive within the ruling Labour Party, where many members remain wary of foreign military interventions following the controversial decision by former prime minister Tony Blair to support the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
A recent Survation poll of 1,045 British respondents found that 56 percent believed Starmer was right not to involve Britain in the initial strikes, while 27 percent said they disagreed.
