UK Opens Bases for US-Iran Strikes
The United Kingdom has granted the U.S. permission to use its military bases, including in Cyprus, for potential strikes against Iran. The move highlights close Western coordination and the strategic gravity of the response to Iran's recent attacks on Israel.
The permission granted by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer allows the US to use British bases for the "specific and limited defensive purpose" of targeting Iranian missile launch sites and storage depots. This decision was made after Iran launched a series of missile attacks across the region, endangering the approximately 200,000 British citizens in the Gulf. The UK government has stated it is acting in "collective self-defence of regional allies who have requested support." The US is expected to utilize RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which can host American heavy bombers. While UK forces will not be directly involved in offensive strikes, they have already been engaged in defensive operations, including shooting down Iranian drones targeting northern Iraq and Qatar. US President Donald Trump had expressed disappointment in the initial refusal by the UK to grant permission, stating it "took far too long" to make the decision. Hours after the UK's announcement, RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was struck by a one-way attack drone, believed to be an Iranian "Shahed-type". The drone caused minor damage to the runway, and there were no casualties reported. In response, families of military personnel at the base were moved to nearby accommodation as a precautionary measure, and two more drones heading towards the base were intercepted on Monday. The decision has generated political debate within the UK. The Liberal Democrats have demanded that Parliament be given a vote on the matter, with leader Sir Ed Davey warning of a "slippery slope" into a wider conflict. The Green Party condemned the move, with leader Zack Polanski accusing the Prime Minister of jumping into "yet another Middle East illegal war." The US has been significantly increasing its military presence in the Middle East to the highest levels since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. This includes the deployment of F-22 Raptors to Israel and F-16s to Diego Garcia to protect the base from potential Iranian attacks. At least 28 US military flights have utilized UK and Cyprus airbases for this build-up. RAF Akrotiri is a key strategic asset for the UK and its allies, serving as a forward operating base for operations in the Middle East. The base has been used for missions against ISIS in Syria and Iraq and to strike Houthi targets in Yemen. The last time the base was directly attacked was by pro-Libyan militants in 1986. The current escalation follows joint US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has vowed to retaliate and has launched missile attacks on neighboring countries and US military targets. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has stated that while the UK supports diplomatic solutions, it is crucial to provide "defensive support in the short term."
