UK Lets US Use British Bases to Strike Iranian Missile Sites Targeting Strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump says London should have acted faster after it agreed to help efforts to curb attacks on shipping

A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress takes off from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Thursday. The British bases being used by the US in it war against Iran are RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia © Getty Images

UK lets US use British bases to strike Iranian missile sites targeting Strait of Hormuz on x (opens in a new window)

Lucy Fisher in London and Steff Chávez in Washington

MAR 20 2026

The UK has confirmed it will allow the US to use British air bases to conduct strikes on Iranian missile sites and other military capabilities that are targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

While the move is a significant broadening of London’s policy on the Iran war, it was met with criticism by US President Donald Trump, who said Britain should have “acted a lot faster”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met with ministers on Friday to discuss Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping and its blocking of the strait, as well as Tehran’s strikes on civilian infrastructure in the Gulf, including oil and gas facilities.

Ministers confirmed that an agreement “for the US to use UK bases in the collective self-defence of the region includes US defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz”, a Downing Street spokesperson said.

The British bases being used by the US in its war with Israel against Iran are RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

Starmer’s decision is the most significant step he has taken to widen his policy, confirmed one day into the war, for the US to use UK bases to attack missile storage depots and launchers inside Iran.

London views this as defensive activity to protect British nationals and interests in the region as well as support Gulf allies that have borne the brunt of retaliatory attacks by Iran.

Number 10 insisted the announcement on Friday did not represent a change to Starmer’s stance of the UK not getting drawn into a wider conflict and stressed the British government viewed the move as being in line with international law.

It came after Trump rebuked Nato “cowards” who “complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz” in a post on his Truth Social platform.

The US president lashed out again after the Downing Street announcement. “It’s been a very late response from the UK”, Trump said, adding it was “a surprise because the relationship is so good”.

Trump reiterated his criticism of the UK’s deal to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia, to Mauritius. The agreement, under which the UK will lease back the military base, is paused while British officials engage with Washington.

Earlier on Friday, UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper spoke with her Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi. 

She condemned Iran’s “reckless attacks” and said Britain’s operations were a response to Tehran’s strikes in the region, according to a Foreign Office statement.

She also cautioned the Tehran regime against targeting UK bases, territory or interests, it added. 

Araghchi said on X that the vast majority of Britons did not want any part in the “Israel-US war of choice” and by “ignoring his People, Mr. Starmer is putting British lives in danger by allowing UK bases to be used for aggression against Iran”. Tehran “will exercise its right to self-defence”, Araghchi added.

London was working with international partners to develop a viable plan to safeguard international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, Downing Street said.

In addition, RAF F-35 and Typhoon fighter jets are flying sorties across the Middle East, and counter-drone units are active, attempting to intercept Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles.

The Conservatives, who argue Britain should have let the US use UK bases to carry out its initial strikes on Iran, said Starmer had dithered in his response to the war and had shown “weak and indecisive” leadership.

Tory shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: “After weeks of dither and finger pointing, the prime minister has once again changed his mind and performed yet another screeching U-turn.”

A Number 10 official dismissed the Tories’ criticism, saying the opposition party did not seem to understand the government’s policy.

The Liberal Democrats also censured the government over its latest move and renewed calls for a parliamentary vote on the war.

Calum Miller, the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesperson, said: “We have warned from the start that the UK has to avoid being dragged into another war in the Middle East with no obvious end.”