UK opens bases to US for Iran strikes but limits targets
Photo: UK granted the US access to bases for strikes against Iran (Getty Images)
The British government has allowed the United States to use military bases on UK territory to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites from which attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz are launched, Reuters reports.
The decision was made by ministers on Friday, March 20, during a meeting focused on the war with Iran and Tehran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement, Downing Street stressed that the agreement on the use of British bases applies to US "defensive operations" as part of the region’s collective self-defense.
"They confirmed that the agreement for the US 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 statement says.
Split in NATO
The war that began after US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 quickly moved beyond a purely military confrontation and turned into a diplomatic crisis between Washington and its NATO allies.
Donald Trump publicly reproached partners for their reluctance to join operations around the Strait of Hormuz and criticized Keir Starmer for what he described as an overly cautious stance.
Iran has effectively blocked passage through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of global oil and gas supplies pass. Against this backdrop, energy prices have surged.
The threat to shipping and energy markets became one of the reasons why Trump called on European countries to help unblock the strait. However, US allies in NATO refused direct military involvement.
Amid this, Trump called the allies’ position a "very foolish mistake." He also said Washington should reconsider its approach to the US role in NATO.
