UK Blocks U.S. Request for Airbases to Launch Strikes on Iran as Diplomatic Tensions Escalate

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has refused President Donald Trump’s request that U.S. military aircraft be permitted to use United Kingdom air bases for an attack on Iran, according to reports.

Starmer stated that allowing U.S. planes to launch strikes from British facilities would violate international law—a decision that has reportedly triggered a fresh rift between Washington and the left-leaning Labour government.

The refusal applies to two key bases: Diego Garcia, a strategically located airfield in the Indian Ocean, and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which houses America’s heavy bomber fleet in Europe. Under longstanding agreements between the U.S. and the U.K., these bases can only be used for military operations against third countries with advance approval from the British government.

British officials have expressed particular concern that international law does not distinguish between a country conducting an attack and one supporting it if the supporting country has “knowledge of the circumstances” of an unlawful attack.

The White House is reportedly drawing up detailed strike plans and expanding U.S. military assets in the region. Trump has warned that Iran could pose a threat to America’s allies and even the United Kingdom itself, suggesting that U.S. forces might need access to the bases for defensive purposes.

Trump also criticized Starmer’s separate plan to hand control of the Chagos Islands—where Diego Garcia is located—to Mauritius under a long-term lease arrangement, stating that “leases are no good when it comes to countries” and urging Britain not to “give away” Diego Garcia.

British government sources indicated that the U.K. is unlikely to support a preemptive strike against Iranian targets, echoing a similar refusal in previous U.S. actions.

The situation underscores Trump’s broader challenge in stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons while allied governments hesitate to back decisive action.