Starmer Blocking U.S. From Launching Iran Strikes From Bases on UK Soil

The left-wing Labour government of Sir Keir Starmer is blocking President Donald Trump from using the United States Air Force’s bomber base in England to launch potential pre-emptive strikes against the Iranian regime because human rights lawyer-dominated Westminster is concerned about international law, a report states.

Britain is once again to prevent the United States from launching pre-emptive strikes against Iran from American airbases on British soil, as it did last summer, by withholding permission to use RAF Fairford. A Royal Air Force base in name only, the facility is the USAF’s “only bomber Forward Operating Location” in Europe, and can handle the largest, most heavily-laden aircraft in the world.

Yet under the terms of agreement for its use with the British government, London has to sign off on any military strikes from its reinforced runway. While this has happened many times in the past, including against Iraq and Afghanistan, and most recently against a rogue Russian oil tanker in the Atlantic, now the Starmer government is standing in its way.

According to a report in The Times of London, the refusal to allow American bombers to launch possible future combat missions against Iran from the American airbase on British soil comes down to concern doing so would be against international law. Further, this refusal is what prompted President Trump to withdraw his support from London’s plan to give away the land under the critical American Diego Garcia base in the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius earlier this week.

Citing “government sources”, the newspaper of record states it was told: “There is a political process ongoing between the US and Iran, which the UK supports. Iran must never be able to develop a nuclear weapon, and our priority is security in the region.” The Daily Telegraph further states it is specifically the United Nations’ 2001 ruling that London has interpreted to mean it could be help culpable if it permits strikes to be launched from its territory if it had “knowledge of the circumstances of the internationally wrongful act”.

While Starmer’s left-wing, international law-obsessed government objecting in this way wouldn’t prevent the U.S. from making any strikes it deemed necessarily — the pre-emptive strikes against Iran’s nuclear programme last year were launched at much greater range from the U.S. mainland instead and sustained with a considerable air tanker refuelling effort — it does make the job more complex for Washington, adds layers of risk, and continues to undermine the UK-U.S. ‘special relationship’.

It also does not prevent the USAF using the airbase at Diego Garcia. While that is also on British soil, the special treaty governing the use of the base obliges Washington to only “notify” London of its intention to launch strikes from the Indian Ocean, not seek permission.

The fact this advantageous arrangement could be torn up should Britain get away with giving the land away to satisfy the ruling of an international court likely underpins President Trump’s decision to object to the plan. According to analysis of the treaty by Policy Exchange, if Mauritius already had sovereignty over the islands today it is possible the Diego Garcia base would now be in the same legal position as Fairford, with the United States having to seek permission for strikes from the strategically vital runway.

Mauritius is observed to be becoming ever-closer to China’s orbit, and it was asserted that if strikes were launched they decided to objected to, then their government could declare themselves released from its treaty obligations. The Policy Exchange paper suggests this means Mauritius would then no longer be obliged to prevent potentially hostile third parties — like China — building their own military installations on other islands in the Archipelago. The paper further noted that Mauritius is already party to an anti-nuclear treaty, potentially further limiting the utility of the base and setting up future diplomatic flashpoints, all to China’s benefit.

As reported, President Trump said it would be a “blight” on Britain if they continued with Sir Keir Starmer’s push to give away the sovereign British territory and that the Prime Minister should stop bowing to “wokeism” and international law. Trump said the court attempting to order Britain to act was simply unimportant, made fictitious rulings, and could be ignored.

He said: “Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime — An attack that would potentially be made on the United Kingdom, as well as other friendly Countries.”