"What I was not prepared to do on Saturday was for the UK to join a war unless I was satisfied there was a lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan. That remains my position."
"We're taking action to reduce the threat with planes in the sky in the region intercepting incoming strikes, deploying more capability to Cyprus, and allowing US planes to use UK bases to take out Iran's capability to strike."
"US planes operating out of British bases was the special relationship in action not hanging on to President Trump's latest words."
Sir Keir Starmer defended the government's approach to the Iran conflict, stating that protecting British nationals is the top priority. President Trump criticized the PM for refusing to allow UK bases for initial US-Israel strikes, comparing him unfavorably to Winston Churchill. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Starmer of not taking offensive action after British bases in Bahrain and Cyprus were attacked. Starmer maintained he would not commit the UK to war without a lawful basis and viable plan. The UK subsequently agreed to allow US military use of British bases for defensive strikes against Iranian missile sites. Trump responded angrily to the initial refusal, calling it shocking and suggesting the UK-US relationship had weakened. Starmer dismissed these concerns, characterizing US plane operations from British bases as demonstrating the special relationship.
#uk-iran-conflict #uk-us-relations #military-strategy #government-defense-policy #political-controversy
Read at www.bbc.com
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