UK approves US use of British bases to strike Iran missile sites targeting ships

LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - The British government gave authorisation on Friday for the U.S. 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 to discuss the war with Iran and Iran's blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Downing Street statement.

"They confirmed that the agreement for the U.S. 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 said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on X that Starmer was "putting British lives in danger by allowing UK bases to be used for aggression against Iran," adding "Iran will exercise its right to self-defense."

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 the prime minister modified his stance after Iran conducted strikes on British allies across the Middle East, saying that the United States could use RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.-UK base in the Indian Ocean.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked Starmer since the conflict started, complaining he was not doing enough to help him.

On Monday, Trump said there were "some countries that greatly disappointed me" before he singled out Britain, which he said had once been considered "the Rolls-Royce of allies".

The Downing Street statement on Friday called for "urgent de-escalation and a swift resolution to the war".

Opinion polls in Britain suggest widespread scepticism about the war, with 59% of those surveyed by YouGov saying that they were opposed to the U.S.-Israeli attacks.