The British government gave authorisation on Friday for the U.S. to use military bases in Britain to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites that are attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. British ministers met on Friday to discuss the war with Iran and Iran's blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Downing Street statement. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on X that Starmer was "putting British lives in danger by allowing UK bases to be used for aggression against Iran," adding "Iran will exercise its right to self-defense." Starmer said this week Britain would not be drawn into a war over Iran. He initially rejected a U.S. request to use British bases for the strikes on Iran, saying he needed to be satisfied that any military action was legal.

Source: The Telegraph March 21, 2026 00:26 UTC