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Britain has said US bombers taking off from UK airbases can hit Iranian sites attacking ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
A meeting of senior officials gave permission for attacks on Iranian military activity in the vital waterway. Ministers said Iran's "reckless strikes" risked the security of the region as well as worsening the economic impact of the war being felt in the UK and around the world.
“They confirmed that the agreement for the US to use UK bases in the collective self-defence of the region includes US defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz," said a statement from Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warned Iran on Friday against attacking UK interests after Tehran said that British permission for US operations at its airbases was “participation in aggression”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised Ms Cooper in a social media message on Friday after they had a phone call.
The post said the UK opening its military bases to the US was seen as a negative approach and Iran reserved its right to self-defence.
During the call Ms Cooper said UK operations in the region were in response to Iran’s strikes on Gulf countries.
She condemned the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key international shipping route, and warned Iran against attacking UK bases, territory or interests, a representative of the Foreign Office said.
Iranian retaliation
Mr Araghchi hinted at retaliatory action in his version of the call with Ms Cooper. “These actions will definitely be considered as participation in aggression and will be recorded in the history of relations between the two countries,” he said.
“At the same time, we reserve our inherent right to defend the country’s sovereignty and independence.”
The spat comes as concerns grow over Iran's sleeper network of agents in Europe as well as its capacity to strike at the UK sovereign bases in Cyprus, which was hit in the early days of the war.
An Iranian man was arrested on Thursday close to the entrance to the base housing the UK's nuclear deterrent near Glasgow. The 34-year-old and a 31-year-old woman had been turned away from the entrance and then held for acting suspiciously near the gate.
The naval base at Faslane is home to the core of the UK’s submarine fleet and the Trident nuclear deterrent.
Nato retreat
Further afield, Nato said it had relocated all its personnel from a training mission in the Middle East to Europe. “I would like to thank the Republic of Iraq and all the allies who assisted in the safe relocation of Nato personnel from Iraq,” Gen Alexus Grynkewich, the commander of the alliance, said.
The bases in northern Iraq were attacked by Iran and local militias sympathetic to Tehran.
US President Donald Trump condemned Nato members for snubbing his call to open the Strait of Hormuz. He called his alliance partners cowards in a social media message.
Defensive permission
Mr Starmer has granted the US permission for “defensive” action against Iranian missile sites from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
The Foreign Office said that Ms Cooper had condemned Iran’s “reckless attacks” on Gulf partners during the call with Mr Araghchi.
She called for freedom of navigation to be restored immediately and reiterated the UK’s call to halt attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations.
“The Foreign Secretary made clear to the Foreign Minister that the defensive UK operations in the region were a response to the Iranian aggression against Gulf partner countries who had not attacked Iran and she called on Iran to immediately stop these reckless strikes against its neighbours,” a spokesperson said.
“She made clear that the UK wants to see a swift resolution to this conflict.
“The Foreign Secretary also warned Iran against targeting UK bases, territory or interests directly and restated the UK’s focus on regional stability and security.”
