Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pushed back at criticism from Donald Trump after the US leader expressed frustration over Britain’s decision not to support the first wave of military action against Iran.
Trump said he was “very disappointed” in the prime minister for declining to grant the US permission to use the Diego Garcia military base to launch air strikes which killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, he said it “sounds like” Starmer was “worried about the legality” of using the base.
In a Commons statement addressing the conflict, Starmer defended the government’s position and reaffirmed the UK’s long-standing approach.
UK Reaffirms Preference For Diplomatic Solution On Iran Nuclear Issue
The prime minister told MPs: “We believe that the best way forward for the region and the world is a negotiated settlement in which Iran agrees to give up any aspirations to possess a nuclear weapon and ceases its destabilising activity across the region.
“That has been the longstanding position of successive British governments.
“President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes. But it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest. That is what I’ve done, and I stand by it.”
In a further remark directed at the US president, Starmer added: “This government does not believe in regime change from the skies.”
Keir Starmer Approves Limited Defensive Use Of Military Bases
Starmer confirmed he authorised the United States to use British military bases on Sunday night — but strictly for what he described as “defensive” operations targeting Iranian weapons storage depots and missile launch sites.
He said the decision followed Iran launching retaliatory attacks across the Middle East, potentially placing around 200,000 British nationals in the region at risk.
Starmer told MPs that “Iran’s outrageous response has become a threat to our people, our interests, and our allies and it cannot be ignored”.
He added: “To be clear, the use of British bases is limited to the agreed defensive purposes; we are not joining the US and Israeli offensive strikes.
“The basis for our decision is the collective self-defence of long-standing friends and allies and protecting British lives.”
PM Says Government Has Learned Lessons From Iraq
Starmer said the government had reflected on past conflicts. “The government has learned from the mistakes of Iraq,” he said. “Any UK actions must always have a lawful basis and a viable thought-through plan.
“I say again, we were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran, and we will not join offensive action now, but in the face of Iran’s barrage of missiles and drones, we will protect our people in the region, and support the collective self-defence of our allies, because that is our duty to the British people.
“It is the best way to eliminate the urgent threat, to prevent the situation spiralling further, and support a return to diplomacy. It is the best way to protect British interests, and British lives. That is what this Government is doing.”
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Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the prime minister of “dither and delay” and criticised him for declining to say whether he supports the US and Israeli bombing campaign.
She said: “You don’t need international law to say whose side you’re on. It has not prevented British governments in the past from supporting strikes, which we knew to be right.”
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