Keir Starmer chairs a meeting of the British government’s Cobra emergency committee as Britain decides how to respond to the US-Israeli bombing of Iran and Tehran’s retaliation against bases in the Gulf.
Britain did not take part in the first wave of attacks early on Saturday, but had sent RAF Typhoons to Qatar to protect the country’s al-Udeid airbase and other allied military facilities in the region.
British nationals in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have been advised to take shelter immediately after reports of Iranian missile attacks. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised against all travel to Israel and Palestine.
An additional six F-35s and additional air defense, radar and counter-drone systems were deployed to RAF Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus, from where they could be deployed in defense of Israel, Jordan or other Middle Eastern countries.
It is understood that British air bases were not used by the US air force as part of the attack; Starmer earlier this month rejected a request from Donald Trump to use RAF bases in Diego Garcia and Fairford.
Iran immediately launched a counterattack targeting US bases in the Gulf, with initial reports of attacks on bases in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, and on Israel. British troops are in small numbers at the bases. There are no reports of any casualties.
The US and Israel appear to be engaged in a broad campaign aimed at regime change in Iran, including bombing its nuclear and missile sites. But in its first statement, Britain only wanted to say that it did not want Tehran to have a nuclear weapon.
A government spokesperson said: “Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon and that is why we have continuously supported efforts to reach a negotiated solution. Our immediate priority is the security of British nationals in the region and we will provide them with 24/7 consular assistance.
“As part of our long-standing commitment to the security of our allies in the Middle East, we have a range of defensive capabilities in the region, which we have recently strengthened. We stand ready to protect our interests.
“We do not want to see further escalation into a broader regional conflict.”
Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Emily Thornberry said Britain must oppose conflict in the Middle East.
The Labor MP told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that she believed the US-Israeli strikes were not legal. “As far as I know, we are not involved in this,” she said. “There is no UK agreement to be involved in this, and I think this is the right thing to do. I don’t think there is a legal basis for this action.”
The US and Israel “were not immediately threatened, and therefore it is difficult to see what the legal justification is.”
Asked whether Britain should oppose joining the conflict, Thornberry said: “Absolutely, unless we are attacked ourselves, which as I said, unfortunately this morning we don’t know if that will happen, because there may be attacks by the Iranians on Western bases in the Arabian Gulf, and then the situation may change. We just don’t know.”
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch said she supported US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
In a post on
“Under my leadership, the Conservative Party will always put our national security first and work with our allies to make the world a safer place.”
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