Burnham Approves Continued US Use of British Bases for Some Defensive Strikes on Iran, Reports Say

Britain's new prime minister has agreed to let the United States keep using UK military bases for what London calls defensive strikes against Iran, according to reports. The move keeps in place a policy set by the last prime minister, Keir Starmer. It comes as the United States widens its attacks on Iran.

Andy Burnham, who became prime minister on Monday, was told of the position and agreed to keep it, Bloomberg reported. Neither Burnham's office nor Downing Street has confirmed the move in public. So, the account rests on reporting, not an official statement.

What Has Been Approved

The deal covers two sites, the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Both are expected to help with some of the current US operations. The United States says those operations are meant to counter Iranian missile threats and protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The reported approval is set out below.

The wording matters. The UK calls the strikes defensive, rather than joining an active war, and has used that line to justify the base access. Bloomberg says the policy was settled at a meeting of senior ministers chaired by Starmer last Friday, before Burnham took office. Burnham was kept informed of that meeting and backed what it decided.

Both bases have been used before in this conflict. They have supported American aircraft since the spring. That is why keeping the arrangement in place was Burnham's to decide.

A Policy Inherited From Starmer

The deal is not new. Britain first let the United States use its bases to strike Iranian missile sites in March, after Iran moved to block the Strait of Hormuz. Starmer had refused at first. He said he needed to be sure that any military action was lawful before he agreed.

Starmer changed his mind after Iran struck British allies across the region and let US aircraft fly from RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia. The shift drew a sharp response at home. RAF Fairford has since become a focus for anti-war protests, with crowds demanding that British soil not be used to attack Iran.

By keeping the policy, Burnham has chosen not to break from Starmer on one of the most sensitive foreign issues facing the new government. It was, in effect, his first big decision on the world stage.

Pressure From Washington

The move also follows reported pressure from the United States. The Telegraph said Washington had pushed Burnham to keep letting US forces use the two bases. It added that Trump was still annoyed with allies who had limited US access during the conflict.

Burnham and Trump spoke by phone soon after Burnham took office. Trump called it a positive talk and said the two had discussed trade, defence, and security in the region, including the Strait of Hormuz. Neither leader said in public whether the use of British bases had come up.

Ties between the two men had been tested even before this. Trump had attacked Starmer many times over the war. The question of base access had become a sore point between London and Washington, and Burnham has now taken it on.

What Happens Next

The decision is likely to prove hard at home. Left-wing Labour MPs, the Green Party, and the Liberal Democrats say that letting the bases be used makes Britain part of the conflict. That criticism is expected to grow if US operations expand.

For now, the effect is that US forces can keep using British sites for the current round of strikes. British officials say they are still worried about where the campaign is heading. How far it goes will shape how much the decision costs Burnham at home in the weeks ahead.