The British government agreed on Friday to allow the United States to use U.K. military bases for operations against Iranian missile sites to re-open shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Prime Minister’s Office stated that a March 1 agreement to allow the United States to use British bases to strike Iranian missiles to defend Arab Gulf countries and British citizens in the region would also apply to Iran’s attacks on the critical global energy corridor.
“The agreement for the U.S. to use U.K. bases in the collective self-defense of the region includes U.S. defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz,” Downing Street stated.
The government ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to “not getting drawn into the wider conflict.”
Under the March 1 agreement, the United States has used British bases in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and Gloucestershire, England, in operations against Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed the announcement on Friday, while criticizing the U.K. for being too slow to agree to U.S. requests.
“I was a little surprised at the U.K. to be honest with you,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “They should have acted a lot faster.”
In his public statements, Trump has sent mixed messages about the need for assistance from U.S. allies to re-open the Strait of Hormuz, whose effective closure has sent shockwaves through global energy markets.
On Tuesday, Trump said that “we don’t need any help, actually,” after countries like Japan and Australia said that they had no intention of agreeing to his request to send ships to help guard the strait.
On Friday, Trump said that “you need a lot of help” to re-open Hormuz.
“You need ships,” Trump said. “NATO could help us, but they so far haven’t had the courage to do so.”
Earlier on Friday, Trump posted on social media that “NATO is a paper tiger” and said that its members were “cowards.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi threatened the United Kingdom on Friday after U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer made the announcement about the bases.
“Vast majority of the British people do not want any part in the Israel-U.S. war of choice on Iran,” Aragchi wrote. “Ignoring his own people, Mr. Starmer is putting British lives in danger by allowing U.K. bases to be used for aggression against Iran. Iran will exercise its right to self-defense.”
