LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday that the United Kingdom has agreed to a United States request to use British bases for limited defensive strikes against Iranian missile depots and launchers, as tensions escalate across the Middle East, March 2, 2026.

In a video message posted on X, Starmer said the U.S. sought permission to use British facilities “for that specific and limited defensive purpose,” adding that the government accepted the request “to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region.”

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Starmer stressed that Britain did not take part in the joint U.S.-Israel airstrikes on Iran that reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, on Saturday. He added that the United Kingdom would not participate in further waves of offensive strikes.

“Our decision that the UK would not be involved with the strikes on Iran was deliberate, not least because we believe that the best way forward for the region and for the world is a negotiated settlement, one in which Iran agrees to give up any aspirations to develop a nuclear weapon,” Starmer said.

However, he said Iran had launched sustained retaliatory attacks across the region, with missiles striking airports and hotels where British citizens were staying.

“But Iran is striking British interests nonetheless, and putting British people at huge risk,” he said.

Starmer said Gulf allies had urged Britain to do more to help defend them, emphasizing that protecting British lives was his primary responsibility.

British fighter jets have already joined coordinated defensive operations and intercepted Iranian missiles, he said. However, he argued that stopping the threat entirely requires targeting missiles at their source, including storage depots and launch sites.

The decision to grant the U.S. request, Starmer said, was grounded in “the collective self-defence of long-standing friends and allies and protecting British lives” and was consistent with international law.

The developments mark a significant expansion of Britain’s defensive role in the growing regional conflict, even as London continues to call for a negotiated diplomatic solution.