PM lets US use UK bases to strike Iran while officials plan major Gulf rescue

Sir Keir Starmer has allowed the US to strike Iranian missile sites from British bases as officials plan an unprecedented rescue operation for UK citizens in the Gulf.

Hostilities in the Middle East are entering their third day, with the US and Israel continuing to strike Iran following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

More than 200,000 British nationals, including military personnel, are thought to be at risk in the Gulf as the Tehran regime launches further missiles at its neighbours.

Late on Sunday, the Prime Minister said he had agreed to a US request to use British bases to protect UK nationals and allies in the region, accusing Iran of pursuing a “scorched earth strategy”.

Sir Keir said British forces would not be directly involved in the strikes, and the bases would only be used for the “specific and limited defensive purpose” of targeting missile storage depots and launchers being used to attack Iran’s neighbours.

He said: “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.”

It is not clear which bases will be used, but Donald Trump has previously referred to asking to use Diego Garcia, one of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean.

Reports have also suggested the US could use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which can handle American heavy bombers.

Sir Keir’s decision followed a day of conversations with regional leaders, during which it is understood they asked the UK to do more to protect them from Iranian missiles.

The Prime Minister insisted the decision was fully in line with international law, and the Government has published a summary of its legal position setting out that it is acting in “collective self-defence”.

The UK will also continue to carry out the defensive operations that have already seen British forces shoot down Iranian drones threatening northern Iraq and Qatar.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski condemned the decision, saying Sir Keir had jumped into “yet another Middle East illegal war”, while the Liberal Democrats demanded MPs be given a say on allowing the US to use British bases.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the decision was “better late than never” and described Sir Keir as “a follower, not a leader”.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office has mounted an unprecedented operation to support British nationals in the region.

Officials are understood to be working on plans for potential evacuation routes should airspace in the Gulf remain closed for an extended period.

British nationals are currently being advised to stay where they are and follow the instructions of local authorities and monitor the Foreign Office’s travel advice, which officials expect to change rapidly

Those in Bahrain, Israel, Palestine, Qatar and the UAE have been urged to register their presence with the Foreign Office online.

More than 94,000 people, mostly in the UAE, have already registered their presence.

The Government has used the registration scheme before to provide urgent updates to people affected by international crises, but it has not previously had to deal with so many people in so many different countries.