The day after the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, and the subsequent Iranian counterattack against US bases in the Gulf, Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared that the UK government would intervene in the conflict in two ways.
First, by intercepting Iranian drones and missiles to protect states not previously involved in the conflict.
And second, by allowing the US to use British bases for “specific and limited" defensive action against Iranian missile sites used to attack Gulf partners.
In his speech on 1 March outlining the government’s position, Starmer explained that the only way to stop the threat from Iranian missiles "is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles”.
He said that the UK would not join the US and Israel in their offensive strikes but would instead focus on “defensive actions”.
Starmer told the UK parliament: “We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran, and we will not join offensive action now, but in the face of Iran’s barrage of missiles and drones, we will protect our people in the region, and support the collective self-defence of our allies, because that is our duty to the British people.
“It is the best way to eliminate the urgent threat, to prevent the situation spiralling further, and support a return to diplomacy. It is the best way to protect British interests, and British lives. That is what this government is doing.”