Uk stops short as Starmer stresses defensive RAF missions after US-Israeli strikes
The uk has stopped short of endorsing the strikes on Iran carried out by Israel and the United States, even as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer ordered defensive RAF missions to protect allies in the region. The stance matters because it places Britain alongside France and Germany in distancing themselves from the offensive campaign while Britain boosts air defences and manages domestic and diplomatic fallout.
Brief Trump call and Downing Street readout
The phone call between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was brief and was instigated by the White House, the government said. Downing Street's public account of the conversation was notably broad: the readout stated, "They discussed the situation in the Middle East. " Starmer has repeatedly condemned Iran while stopping short of endorsing the US and Israeli strikes.
Uk RAF deployments: Typhoons in Qatar and F-35s and systems in Cyprus
Keir Starmer said RAF fighter jets are flying "in the sky today" to defend allies from retaliatory strikes by Tehran, with fighters running defensive operations from Qatar and Cyprus to intercept incoming drones and missiles. Last month the UK deployed RAF Typhoons to Qatar to protect al-Udeid airbase and other allied facilities, and an extra six F-35s plus additional air defence, radar and counterdrone systems were sent to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
Joint diplomatic message with Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz
In a joint statement with French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz, the prime minister said, "We did not participate in these strikes, " and all three leaders added they were in contact with the US, Israel and other regional allies. The three leaders focused on Iran: they condemned Iranian attacks in the strongest terms, urged the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution, and said the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future.
Domestic political split and contested use of bases
Domestic reaction has divided broadly along right and left lines. The Conservatives and Reform UK have accused Sir Keir of sitting on the fence and failing to offer adequate support to America, including by not making British bases available to the US air force. The Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party have expressed scepticism about Donald Trump's actions. It is understood the government rejected a request from Donald Trump to use RAF bases in Diego Garcia and Fairford earlier this month, and British airbases were not used by the US air force in the initial strikes.
Safety measures for Britons and worries over the Strait of Hormuz
There is clear concern in government about the many British people in the Middle East and the larger number travelling through major hub airports in the region. The Foreign Office has stood up its "Register Your Presence" system for Britons in many Middle Eastern countries so officials know where citizens are and can keep in touch. British nationals in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates were advised to shelter in place after reports of Iranian missile attacks, and the Foreign Office has advised against all travel to Israel and Palestine. Officials are also worried about the economic impact of blockages to the Strait of Hormuz — a vital artery for world trade and oil shipments which sits below Iran — and what that could mean for inflation, interest rates and the cost of fuel.
Starmer's rhetoric, legal caution and emergency meetings
Starmer has been careful to emphasise that British warplanes operating in the region are acting in a defensive capacity and "in line with international law. " In a televised statement he denounced the Iranian regime as "utterly abhorrent, " saying it has "murdered thousands of [its] own people, brutally crushed dissent and sought to destabilize the region, " and he described Iran as posing "a direct threat" to the UK. He urged Iranians to "give up their weapons programmes and cease the appalling violence and repression, " while stopping short of echoing President Trump's call for regime change. Earlier on Saturday, Starmer chaired a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee to consider how the UK would respond to escalating hostilities, which have included Iranian counterattacks on Israel and strikes on US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait; British forces are present at those bases in small numbers.
All of this unfolds after an extraordinarily turbulent start to 2026 — militarily and diplomatically (with flashpoints such as Venezuela and Greenland) and domestically for the government (the Epstein files and Lord Mandelson, and a moment of intense political vulnerability for the prime minister) — and follows fresh exchanges of attacks between Israel and Iran after Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei was killed. The UK, France and Germany have distanced themselves from the US and Israeli offensive even as they move to bolster defensive capabilities and manage the immediate humanitarian, economic and diplomatic risks.
