Starmer says Britain won’t support aerial “regime change” in Iran

Keir Starmer announced that Britain will not take part in the offensive raids planned by Israel and the United States against Iran, stating that the UK rejects any notion of “regime change from the skies”.

Nevertheless, the prime minister defended the employment of British bases for defensive missions, describing it as “the most effective way to safeguard British interests and lives”.

Starmer noted that the United Kingdom has “taken to heart the lessons of Iraq”, a view that shaped his choice to stay out of the planned attacks on Iran. “We all recall the errors made in Iraq and have learned from them. Any British action must rest on a legal foundation and a carefully considered plan,” he added.

Addressing the House of Commons, Starmer said it was “my responsibility to assess what serves Britain’s national interest”, even as US President Donald Trump criticised him, saying he was “very disappointed” that Starmer blocked the use of British facilities for strikes on Iran.

Starmer explained that the UK is reacting by dispatching British aircraft and permitting the use of its bases for defensive purposes in response to Iran’s retaliatory actions against regional partners.

“It is evident that Iran’s extreme reaction now threatens our citizens, our interests and our allies, and it cannot be ignored,” he said. “Our decision rests on the collective self‑defence of long‑standing friends and the protection of British lives, in line with international law.”

He reported that an Iranian drone heading toward a coalition base in Iraq, where British troops are present, was intercepted by the RAF, and that a drone was also launched at the British station in Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, before the Sunday night statement concerning US use of UK bases.

Defence Secretary John Healey said the damage was limited and that families stationed at RAF Akrotiri were being relocated to temporary housing elsewhere in Cyprus. The facilities are not being employed to launch US attacks.

Starmer has not voiced outright opposition to the initial wave of US‑Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday, which resulted in the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials. However, Britain barred US forces from using Diego Garcia or any UK airfields over concerns about the legality of the operation.

Iran has since unleashed a series of retaliatory missile and drone assaults on targets across the Gulf and the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain and Oman.

Starmer said: “We believe the most constructive path for the region and the world is a negotiated settlement in which Iran abandons any ambition to acquire a nuclear weapon and ends its destabilising activities, a stance consistently upheld by successive British governments.”

“President Trump has voiced his disagreement with our choice not to join the initial strikes, but it is my duty to determine what serves Britain’s national interest; that is the decision I have made.”