British Bases Involved in US Operations Against Iran

SadaNews - The UK government announced on Saturday that the United States has begun using British bases for "defensive operations" against Iran in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In a statement by the British Ministry of Defence on the "X" platform, it was revealed that "the United States has started to use British bases for specific defensive operations to prevent Iran from launching missiles into the region, which endangers the lives of Britons". UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had previously ruffled US President Donald Trump's feathers by refusing to engage in the ongoing conflict between the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other, which began on February 28. However, Starmer later agreed to the US request to use two military bases for "specific defensive purposes". The bases are RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire in southwest England and Diego Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. A photographer from the French Press Agency reported on Saturday that a B-1 bomber landed at RAF Fairford. An American C-5 Galaxy was also spotted on the runway of the base, where an anti-war protest was organized nearby. Trump criticized Starmer's stance of not engaging in the war, stating, "This is not Winston Churchill we are dealing with". Starmer, a former lawyer and human rights activist, defended his decision not to have the UK play any role, asserting that any British intervention "must always be based on a legal foundation and a well-considered, feasible plan". He later emphasized the correctness of his decision to allow the US to use two British bases, stating that Iranian retaliatory attacks with missiles and drones in response to US-Israeli strikes threaten the interests of Britain and its allies in the region.