UK approves US use of British bases to strike Iran missile sites targeting ships
By Reuters
Mar 20, 2026, 04:14 PM
A U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber approaches to land at RAF Fairford airbase in Fairford, Gloucestershire, Britain, March 17, 2026. (Toby Melville/Reuters)
LONDON — The British government gave authorization on Friday for the United States 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.
“They confirmed that the agreement for the U.S. to use U.K. bases in the collective self-defence of the region includes U.S. defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement said.
Prime Minister Keir 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.
But Starmer modified his stance after Iran conducted strikes on British allies across the Middle East, saying that the United States could use RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.-U.K. base in the Indian Ocean.
https://www.defensenews.com/news/your-military/2026/03/20/uk-approves-us-use-of-british-bases-to-strike-iran-missile-sites-targeting-ships/
