Keir Starmer's government has agreed to let the US military use British bases for defensive strikes on Iranian sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz. Downing Street announced the decision to let Donald Trump's troops use UK bases to “degrade Iran's missile sites” on Friday, as the regime is effectively blocking the vital oil route to Western tankers.
Hours prior, Iranian state media claimed Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had warned Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper that allowing British military bases to be used by US forces would be viewed by Tehran as an act of aggression, the Mirror reports. Downing Street had previously allowed US forces to use UK bases for operations to prevent Iran from firing missiles that put British interests or lives at risk. But the new move could see US troops using UK bases even to protect ships in the strait.