LONDON, U.K March 2, 2026 – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s commitment to working closely with longstanding allies in “collective self-defence,” describing it as the key to safeguarding British interests and lives in the face of escalating Middle East tensions with Iran.
In a video statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) late Monday, Starmer declared: “We are working with our longstanding friends and allies in collective self-defence. That’s how we protect British interests and British lives.”
The remarks come hours after the UK government reversed an earlier position and granted the United States permission to use British military bases — including RAF Fairford in England and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean — for limited defensive strikes. These operations target Iranian missile storage sites and launchers to neutralise threats at source.
The decision follows US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets and subsequent Iranian retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the region. UK fighter jets, including Typhoons and F-35s, have already joined coordinated defensive efforts, successfully intercepting several Iranian projectiles.
A suspected Iranian-linked drone strike early Monday damaged the runway at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus — a key British base — though there were no casualties. The incident has heightened concerns for the safety of British personnel and the estimated 200,000 UK nationals living across the Middle East.
Government sources stressed that the UK’s involvement is strictly defensive and fully compliant with international law on collective self-defence. Starmer has repeatedly emphasised that Britain is not joining broader offensive operations and has learned lessons from previous conflicts, including Iraq.
The move has drawn sharp domestic criticism from opposition figures who accused the Prime Minister of initially hesitating to support key allies, thereby endangering British forces. Supporters, however, hailed the decision as a necessary step to protect national security and regional stability.
The developments underscore Britain’s role as a key NATO and Five Eyes partner amid fears that the conflict could disrupt global oil supplies and further destabilise the Middle East.
Life News Agency will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds.
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