UK Grants US Access to Bases for Iran Strikes
The United Kingdom has formally granted the U.S. access to its military bases for operations against Iran, cementing a key NATO role in the conflict. The move comes as the UK's foreign ministry simultaneously called for de-escalation, labeling Iran's recent attacks "reckless."
The decision to grant the U.S. access to UK bases came after a significant barrage of Iranian missiles and drones targeted multiple countries in the Gulf region. In the United Arab Emirates alone, air defenses intercepted 152 of 165 ballistic missiles and 506 of 541 drones launched by Iran. These attacks resulted in three fatalities and 58 injuries in the UAE, with another death and 32 injuries reported in Kuwait. The Iranian attacks weren't limited to military installations; civilian infrastructure was also hit. Targets included international airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Kuwait, as well as luxury hotels and residential buildings in Bahrain and Dubai. The headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain was also struck by a missile. British military personnel on a base in Bahrain narrowly avoided being hit. The specific UK bases expected to be utilized by the U.S. are RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which can host American heavy bombers, and the strategic Indian Ocean base on Diego Garcia. The UK's RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus is also on heightened alert and was itself hit by a suspected Iranian drone shortly after the access agreement was announced, causing minor damage but no casualties. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated the access was granted for the "specific and limited defensive purpose" of targeting Iranian missile launch and storage sites to prevent further attacks. The UK government has asserted that this action is legally justified as collective self-defense for its regional allies. However, the move has been met with criticism internally, with the Liberal Democrats demanding a parliamentary vote on the decision. The international response to the UK's decision has been varied. U.S. President Donald Trump expressed that the approval "took far too much time." Meanwhile, Russia and China condemned the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that preceded the retaliatory attacks, calling for a de-escalation of the conflict. Gulf states, including the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait, issued a joint statement with the U.S. condemning Iran's "indiscriminate and reckless" attacks. Spain, in contrast, has reportedly denied the U.S. permission to use its bases for strikes against Iran.
