Rowena Mason & Helena Smith
The Guardian / March 2, 2026
Keir Starmer says the UK has not been involved in the US-Israeli strikes, but warned that 200,000 British people are in countries being targeted by Iran.
London/Athens – The UK has agreed to let the US use British military bases to attack Iranian missile sites, Keir Starmer has said.
The UK has so far not been involved in the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, but in a recorded statement on Sunday evening, the prime minister said that Iran’s approach was becoming more reckless and putting British lives at risk, leading to the decision to allow the US to use two of its military bases.
Within hours of the prime minister’s statement, the UK’s Akrotiri air force base in Cyprus was hit by a suspected drone, with only “minor damage” and no casualties.
The government also released a summary of its legal position, saying: “The UK is acting in the collective self-defence of regional allies who have requested support.”
Revealing that 200,000 British people are in Middle Eastern countries being targeted by Iran, Starmer said: “The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles.
“The US has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose.
“We have taken the decision to accept this request – to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region … killing innocent civilians … putting British lives at risk … and hitting countries that have not been involved.”
He said that British jets were in the air as part of coordinated defensive operations, which he said had “already successfully intercepted Iranian strikes”.
In a joint statement with France and Germany released earlier on Sunday, the UK said: “We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source.”
Hours later alerts, thought to have been issued by the Ministry of Defence, were sent to military personnel and their families at Akrotiri air force base in Cyprus late on Sunday, warning of an ongoing security threat.
Rowena Mason is The Guardian’s Whitehall editor
Helena Smith is The Guardian’s correspondent in Greece, Turkey and Cyprus
