U.K. approves U.S. use of British bases to strike Iran missile sites targeting ships

UK approves US strikes from British bases on Iran missile sites, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer seeks to avoid war.

The British government gave authorisation ​on Friday (March 20, 2026) for the United States to use ‌military bases in Britain to carry out strikes ​on Iranian missile sites that are attacking ⁠ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

British Ministers met on Friday (March 20, 2026) to discuss the war with Iran and Iran’s ‌blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Downing Street statement.

Iran-Israel war updates on March 20, 2026

“They confirmed ‌that the agreement for the U.S. to ‌use ⁠U.K. 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 ‌statement said.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said this week Britain would not be drawn into a war over Iran. He initially rejected a U.S. request ‌to use British bases for the strikes ​on Iran, saying he needed to be satisfied that any military action was ⁠legal.

But Mr. Starmer modified his stance after Iran conducted strikes on British allies across the West Asia, ‌saying that the United States could use RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.-U.K. base in the Indian Ocean.