British bases in Cyprus are not being used by US bombers, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said. He added that a strike in RAF Akrotiri was not linked to any recent decision taken by London.
Speaking in the House of Commons on 2 March, Keir Starmer defended his government’s decision not to take part in the initial US-Israeli strikes against Iran, stressing that the United Kingdom is seeking a diplomatic solution that would prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and bring an end to its destabilising activities in the region.
However, he said, he was ultimately compelled to accept the US request for the “limited use of British bases for strictly defensive purposes,” describing Iran’s response, launching hundreds of missiles and thousands of drones at Gulf countries that were not involved in the attacks, as unacceptable.
This, he said, constitutes a threat to British interests and to the UK’s allies. He made it unequivocally clear, however, that the United Kingdom is not participating in offensive operations by the United States and Israel.
Keir Starmer made special reference to the approximately 300,000 British nationals currently in the region, noting that Iranian strikes had hit airports and hotels where British citizens were staying. Among the targets, he said, was a military base in Bahrain where 300 British personnel are stationed, while a drone also struck the RAF base at Akrotiri in Cyprus. He clarified that British bases in Cyprus are not being used by US bombers and that the strike was not linked to any recent decision taken by London.
He pointed out that Iranian hostility towards Britain is longstanding, noting that more than 20 potentially lethal attacks on UK soil have been foiled over the past year alone.
The British Prime Minister said that Typhoon and F-35 fighter jets are taking part in coordinated defensive operations across the wider Middle East region and have already intercepted, among other threats, Iranian missiles heading towards a coalition base in Iraq where British troops are deployed.
Keir Starmer also referred to President Trump, who disagreed with London’s initial decision not to become involved in the first round of strikes. Nevertheless, as the British Prime Minister stressed, “it is my duty to judge based on Britain’s national interest.”
It is worth noting, as highlighted by British media, that following the “green light” given by London to Washington, Iranian drone attacks on the British base at Akrotiri in Cyprus ensued. Today, however, the Prime Minister, citing intelligence assessments, argued that those drones had been launched before his televised address.
(Source: CNA)
