Newly appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK) Andy Burnham has granted approval to the United States (US) military to operate from British bases for strikes against Iran, maintaining the stance established by Keir Starmer as US President Donald Trump accelerates military actions, an international media outlet has reported.
Starmer convened a meeting with ministers and government officials on Friday to address policy after the US resumed operations earlier in the month. Participants at the meeting resolved to allow American aircraft access to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and the installation at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
The stated purpose of the missions involves neutralizing missile capacity and targeting locations used to disrupt maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
Burnham took office on Monday, receiving briefing materials regarding the Friday discussions, and endorsed the agreement. According to the report, sources providing details regarding security deliberations spoke on condition of anonymity.
Political factions demanded an end to base access, while Trump pressed the British government to expand involvement in the conflict.
Burnham is likely to face pushback from opposition parties including The Green Party and Liberal Democrats who oppose the deployment, alleging that base access makes the country complicit in war crimes.
Following entry into 10 Downing Street on Monday, Burnham held a telephone conversation with Trump. A spokesperson from the prime minister’s office issued a readout stating: “The prime minister outlined the UK’s commitment to securing the movement of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Trump commented on the discussion in a post on Truth Social, stating: “We discussed North Sea Oil, Trade, the Military Alliance, Demining of the Hormuz Strait, and many other topics. The call was interesting, and went very well.”
