The British prime minister said he stood by his judgment not to support initial joint US-Israeli strikes against Iran, after Donald Trump criticised his approach. The US president said the UK was taking ‘too long’ to allow the US to use its airbases. Starmer said the decision had now been made to allow US forces to use British bases to strike storage depots and for a ‘limited defensive purpose’. He said he believed the killing of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had led Iran to strike military and economic targets in a more ‘reckless’ manner in the region

Source: The Guardian March 03, 2026 05:47 UTC