BRITAIN OPENS ITS BASES TO US STRIKES ON IRAN - CYPRUS NOT INCLUDED FOR NOW - in-cyprus 20/3
Britain has authorised the United States to use its military bases to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz — a decision being watched closely in Cyprus, where the British Sovereign Base Areas have already been drawn into the regional conflict.
British ministers met on Friday to discuss the war with Iran and Iran’s blockade of the strait. In a statement, Downing Street confirmed that “the agreement for the U.S. to use UK bases in the collective self-defence of the region includes U.S. defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.”
The authorisation covers RAF Fairford, in England, and Diego Garcia, a joint US-UK base in the Indian Ocean. There has been no official confirmation that the British Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus — RAF Akrotiri and Dhekelia — are included in the decision.
The move marks a shift for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who initially rejected a US request to use British bases, saying he needed to be satisfied that any military action was legal. He modified his position after Iran struck British allies across the Middle East, though he maintained this week that Britain would not be drawn into a war over Iran.
Downing Street also called for “urgent de-escalation and a swift resolution to the war.”
The decision is of direct relevance to Cyprus. RAF Akrotiri was struck by a drone earlier this month in an attack linked to the wider conflict, placing Cyprus at the centre of a live military incident on its own territory. The March European Council conclusions subsequently acknowledged Cyprus’s intention to open talks with the United Kingdom on the future of the bases, with the EU stating readiness to assist when needed.
The announcement comes after weeks of pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticised Starmer’s handling of the conflict. On Monday, Trump said there were “some countries that greatly disappointed me” before singling out Britain, which he said had once been considered “the Rolls-Royce of allies.”
Opinion polls suggest widespread public scepticism in Britain about the war, with 59% of those surveyed by YouGov saying they opposed the US-Israeli attacks.
