British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday told Parliament that the United Kingdom was not involved in the initial US and Israeli strikes on Iran, saying the decision was deliberate and based on Britain’s national interest.
Speaking to the Parliament, Starmer said the UK had not been involved in the initial strikes on Iran and would not join offensive US strikes, but stressed that in the face of Iran’s dangerous escalation the government would defend British nationals and support the collective self‑defence of its allies.
Starmer said the UK believes the best path for stability in the region remains a negotiated settlement in which Iran abandons its pursuit of nuclear weapons and halts destabilising activities across the Middle East. He acknowledged that US President Donald Trump disagreed with Britain’s decision not to join the initial strikes, but said it was his responsibility to judge what serves the UK’s national interest. “I stand by that judgement,” the Prime Minister told lawmakers.
However, Starmer said that Iran’s response has escalated tensions across the region. According to the Prime Minister, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones targeting countries that were not involved in the strikes, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain and Oman. He also said the Iran-backed group Hezbollah carried out further attacks on Israel overnight, further raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
The Prime Minister stated that around 300,000 British citizens are currently in the region, including residents, families and holidaymakers, many of whom are facing major travel disruption as airspace restrictions affect flights across several countries. He said the safety of British nationals remains the government’s highest priority.
Starmer also revealed that an Iranian drone landed within about 800 yards of British personnel at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, though there were no casualties. He clarified that British bases in Cyprus were not used by US forces for offensive strikes and that the drone attack was not linked to any UK decision.
Starmer stressed that the UK has not joined US offensive operations and that any use of British bases is strictly for defensive purposes aimed at protecting civilians, British nationals and allies.
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