keir starmer defended the government’s approach to the conflict in Iran at Prime Minister’s Questions, saying protecting British nationals was his “number one priority”. His defence followed criticism from President Trump after the prime minister initially refused to allow the use of UK bases in the initial US-Israel strikes on Saturday (ET). The prime minister said he would not join a war without a lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan, and on Sunday (ET) the UK agreed to a US request to allow the use of British bases for defensive strikes on Iranian missile sites.
Keir Starmer defends refusal to join initial strikes
Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister, UK government said the government was acting to reduce immediate threats while insisting on legal and operational clarity. “We’re taking action to reduce the threat with planes in the sky in the region intercepting incoming strikes, deploying more capability to Cyprus, and allowing US planes to use UK bases to take out Iran’s capability to strike, ” he said. He added: “What I was not prepared to do on Saturday (ET) was for the UK to join a war unless I was satisfied there was a lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan. ” President Trump reacted angrily to the initial refusal and described the decision as “shocking, ” calling the prime minister “no Winston Churchill. ” President Trump, President of the United States made repeated public criticisms over the weekend about the timing and scope of the UK’s involvement.
Military posture and defensive deployments
The prime minister outlined a stepped-up defensive posture already underway. Sir Keir Starmer said the government had been pre-deploying capabilities in the region including radar systems, ground-based air defence, counter-drone systems and F35 jets. He said wildcat helicopters with anti-drone capabilities would be in Cyprus this week (ET) and that a Royal Navy warship, HMS Dragon, had been deployed to the region, though HMS Dragon was not expected to sail to Cyprus until next week (ET). He stressed that US planes operating out of British bases and British jets shooting down drones and missiles on joint bases illustrated the partners working together.
Political backlash and the special relationship
Kemi Badenoch, Conservative leader, House of Commons challenged the prime minister at Prime Minister’s Questions, accusing him of “catching arrows rather than stopping the archer” and urging more offensive action. “I would say to Labour MPs, we are in this war whether they like it or not. What is the prime minister waiting for?” she said. The exchanges have put fresh focus on the so-called special relationship with the United States, with Sir Keir arguing that operational cooperation—sharing intelligence, protecting lives on joint bases and allowing defensive use of UK facilities—was evidence the partnership remains active despite public clashes between leaders.
What happens next will be watched closely: whether HMS Dragon sails as expected next week (ET), how US aircraft continue to operate from British bases, and whether further defensive strikes on Iranian missile sites are carried out from UK facilities. Exchanges between President Trump and the prime minister are likely to continue in public, even as the UK government frames its actions around legal authority and protection of UK nationals. keir starmer has signalled he will only widen the UK’s role if satisfied there is a lawful basis and a viable plan, leaving those developments as the key markers to follow in the coming days (ET).
