Starmer: Britain involved only in defensive actions in Middle East

The United Kingdom does not intend to join the US-Israeli military operation against Iran, as such intervention does not align with the national interests of the kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said while speaking in the British parliament, Report informs via BBC.

Starmer said that the United States had requested permission to use British military bases to carry out "defensive strikes" aimed at destroying Iranian missiles in storage facilities or on launchers. Starmer added that he had agreed to this request to prevent Iran from launching missiles that could kill civilians.

He emphasized, however, that the United Kingdom did not intend to participate in offensive operations by the US and Israel. He noted that France and Germany were also prepared to allow the United States to use their bases to destroy Iran"s missile capabilities.

Starmer further stated that British bases in Cyprus were not being used by American bombers and that Iran"s strike on the base was not a response to any decision taken by London.

He also said that Iran had launched "hundreds of missiles and thousands of drones at countries in the region that had not attacked it," noting that approximately 300,000 British citizens were in the region, including residents, tourists, and those in transit.

The prime minister acknowledged that US President Donald Trump had "expressed disagreement" with Britain"s initial decision not to participate in the operations. Starmer said that his duty was to assess what served the national interests of the United Kingdom and that he remained committed to his decisions.

At the same time, he stated that the best way to resolve the conflict was through dialogue, a dialogue in which Iran would abandon any pursuit of nuclear weapons.