Starmer rejects Iran offensive, OKs US use of UK bases

Sir Keir Starmer told MPs that the UK “does not believe in regime change from the skies”. In his first Commons statement since US–Israeli strikes on Iran, he defended refusing the initial US request to use British bases and explained why, after Iran’s retaliation, he has permitted limited defensive access to RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia to stop missiles aimed at civilians and allies. He framed each step around the law, a clear objective and Britain’s national interest. (ft.com)

Let’s pin down the language you’ll hear a lot this week. Offensive action means joining attacks designed to hurt Iran’s leadership or broader military. Defensive action, which the UK says it supports, is about preventing missiles from being launched at cities, bases and ships. Downing Street has published its legal summary and grounded the decision in collective self-defence under international law. That is the line ministers say they can sustain in court and in Parliament. (gov.uk)

The weekend’s timeline matters. On Saturday 28 February, the US and Israel struck targets around Tehran; Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed. Iran then launched waves of missiles and drones across the region, triggering alerts in Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia and disrupting shipping near the Strait of Hormuz. AP’s fact-checkers, meanwhile, warned about viral fakes purporting to show the aftermath. (time.com)

For the UK, the risk stopped being abstract when a drone hit RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. There were no reported casualties, but the strike prompted relocations for some families and sharpened the case that British people and interests were in the firing line. Ministers say UK aircraft are already up as part of defensive tasks intercepting Iranian drones alongside allies. (thetimes.com)

Starmer said the US had earlier asked to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and the joint UK–US facility at Diego Garcia for the opening wave and that the UK declined. After Iran’s retaliation threatened British nationals and allies, London agreed to a narrower ask focused on destroying missile launchers and depots before they fire. Officials insist this is not a U-turn but a different question with a different legal answer. (news.sky.com)

Politics moved just as fast. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the government of “dither and delay” and urged the UK to stand fully behind the US. Reform UK figures praised President Trump’s approach and attacked the Prime Minister’s caution. By contrast, Canada and Australia publicly backed US action to prevent Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon, language that increased pressure on London to define its stance clearly. (theguardian.com)

Voices on the left struck a different note. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey warned against giving cover to unilateral US action and urged tight parliamentary oversight of any UK role; the Greens’ Ellie Chowns called the US–Israeli attack “illegal” and demanded a Commons vote. Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney pressed for a diplomatic route and criticised allowing US use of UK bases. These are live constitutional questions about when MPs should sign off military support. (libdemvoice.org)

If you have family or classmates in the region, here’s the practical bit. The Foreign Office has asked British nationals in Bahrain, Israel/Palestine, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE to register their presence so officials can send updates and, if needed, organise departures. Ministers say more than 100,000 people have already registered. A trickle of flights is resuming from parts of the Gulf, but many travellers are still stuck as airspace restrictions lift slowly. (gov.uk)

This is also a moment to practise media literacy. AP News has flagged AI-made and recycled clips being mislabelled as real footage from Iran. Before you share, ask three checks: who posted it first, which reliable outlets have verified it, and does the scene match the claimed time and place? In a fast-moving war, pressing pause is a civic skill. (apnews.com)

What next? In Washington, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says the campaign aims to neutralise Iran’s missiles and nuclear capability without an Iraq-style occupation; President Trump has talked about a weeks-long operation that could last longer. In London, the legal case is published and MPs are pressing for scrutiny. For now, the UK line stays narrow: help defend lives and bases, avoid joining offensive strikes. (washingtonpost.com)