The UK has agreed to a US request to use British military bases for “defensive” strikes on Iranian missile sites, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
But the prime minister said the UK had learned lessons from the “mistakes of Iraq”, and was not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and “will not join offensive action now”.
Sir Keir said the basis of the decision to accept the US request was the “collective self-defence” of allies and protecting British lives, accusing Iran of pursuing a “scorched-earth strategy”.
The BBC understands the US is likely to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for strikes on Iranian missile sites.
In his video statement on Sunday, Sir Keir said the US would use UK bases for the “specific and limited defensive purpose” of destroying Iran’s missiles “at source”.
He added that the move was in accordance with international law, and the UK government had published what it said was a summary of its legal advice.
Tbh it’s a rather object lesson in target discrimination.
If Iran had been strict in their targeting, and had specifically only hit US assets and their host countries (and also, you know, specifically attempted to avoid civilian targets), other countries very likely would have stayed out. But they had to max their own dogma and “strike at all the western devils” - even the ones that were openly objecting to the US. Nobody should be surprised when Iran hits a French or UK or whatever airbase, that the country operating the airbase does not take it kindly, and shifts from nominally neutral to actively hostile.
Literally none of that happened. No UK assets were attacked before the UK changed its position.
it does not matter to the leaders of all the nations. they still profit while working class people will die in the meat grinder.