Britain weighing military support to US in event of strike on Iran
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer convenes emergency COBRA talks amid rising tensions over a potential US strike on Iran.
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US President Donald Trump, left, and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer attend a family photo session during the G7 Summit, in Kananaskis, Alberta, Monday, June 16, 2025 (AP)
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to convene with cabinet ministers for urgent talks as tensions rise over the possibility of the United States launching a strike against Iran, The Guardian reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will assemble the United Kingdom’s national emergencies committee, referred to as COBRA, to "bring together ministers and senior officials to update the UK’s response to the rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East," as tensions continue to rise over the potential for a US strike against Iran.
The British government will discuss whether to offer military assistance to the United States should President Trump authorize airstrikes against Iran, with ministers preparing to deliberate on the UK's potential involvement if Washington requests support for military operations, The Times reported.
According to British military sources, the US could potentially use the joint UK-US base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean as a launch site for operations against Iran, given that B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, the only aircraft equipped to deliver bunker-buster bombs capable of striking Iran’s fortified Fordow nuclear facility, are frequently deployed there.
Starmer met with 'diplomatic solution' front
British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, standing in for Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions while he attended the G7 summit, told MPs the UK agrees Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons but continues to urge diplomatic engagement with the US, maintaining support for a negotiated solution.
UK aid to US may pose a threat to British assets
According to American and British military sources, any potential US use of Diego Garcia as a launch site for strikes against Iran would require President Trump to first obtain authorization from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
If the United Kingdom agrees to aid the US in potential strikes on Iran, it risks being perceived by Tehran as a direct participant in the war, raising concerns that British interests or citizens in the region could become targets for retaliatory attacks.
The report suggests that RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, home to Britain's Typhoon fighter jets, could face retaliatory strikes, while British military personnel stationed in Iraq may become vulnerable to attacks, along with commercial vessels navigating the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Additional security concerns are emerging for British diplomats in Tehran, given that the UK, unlike the US, maintains an operational embassy in the Iranian capital.
