British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that UK military planes are flying over the Middle East right now. He explained that these missions are defensive and coordinated, with the goal of protecting British citizens, national interests, and allies in the region.After the US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets earlier, Starmer spoke from Downing Street and made it clear that the United Kingdom had no part in those joint operations.
Defence sources had earlier made it clear that no UK military facilities, including the base at Diego Garcia, were involved in launching the attacks.Britain has strengthened its defense in the region.RAF F-35 jets are still based in Cyprus, and Typhoon planes were already sent to Qatar before things heated up again.The prime minister said that these assets are being used only for defense.Starmer called out Iran’s retaliatory strikes across the region, saying they were reckless and just made things more unstable.
He repeated the UK’s long-held view that Iran should never get nuclear weapons, pointing to what he described as the regime’s track record of cracking down on its own people and carrying out hostile actions overseas. He mentioned more than 20 possible deadly plots aimed at the UK in the past year alone.
The prime minister said British bases and personnel are now at the highest level of protection, and they’re working to support UK nationals in the area.He also mentioned talks with leaders from the E3 nations and Middle Eastern partners, pointing out the urgent need to stop things from getting worse.Starmer called for restraint, asking Iran to stop any more strikes, give up its weapons programs, and come back to the negotiating table. He said that stepping back from conflict is the only way to keep the region stable and protect civilians.
