Category: Foreign Affairs

The statement made by Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 1 March 2026.

Yesterday, I spoke to you about the situation in the Gulf and explained that the United Kingdom was not involved in the strikes on Iran. 

That remains the case.

Over the last two days Iran has launched sustained attacks across the region at countries who did not attack them.

They’ve hit airports and hotels where British citizens are staying. 

This is clearly a dangerous situation. 

We have at least 200,000 British citizens in the region – residents, families on holiday, and those in transit. 

I ask all our people in the region to please register your presence and follow Foreign Office travel advice.  

I know this is a deeply worrying time and we will continue to do all we can to support you.

Our Armed Forces who are located across the region are also being put at risk by Iran’s actions.  

Yesterday Iran hit a military base in Bahrain, narrowly missing British personnel.

The death of the Supreme Leader will not stop Iran from launching these strikes. 

Their approach is becoming even more reckless – and more dangerous to civilians.

Our decision that the UK would not be involved with the strikes on Iran was deliberate.

Not least because we believe that the best way forward for the region and for the world is a negotiated settlement.

One in which Iran agrees to give up any aspirations to develop a nuclear weapon.

But Iran is striking British interests nonetheless, and putting British people at huge risk, along with our allies across the region. 

That is the situation we face today. 

Our partners in the Gulf have asked us to do more to defend them, and it is my duty to protect British lives.  

We have British jets in the air as part of coordinated defensive operations which have already successfully intercepted Iranian strikes. 

But the only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source – in their storage depots or the launchers which used to fire the missiles.

The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose. 

We have taken the decision to accept this request – to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk, and hitting countries that have not been involved.

The basis of our decision is the collective self-defence of longstanding friends and allies, and protecting British lives.

That is in accordance with international law. And we are publishing a summary of our legal advice.

We are not joining these strikes, but we will continue with our defensive actions in the region.

And we will also bring experts from Ukraine together with our own experts to help Gulf partners shoot down Iranian drones attacking them.

I want to be very clear: we all remember the mistakes of Iraq. 

And we have learned those lessons. 

We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and we will not join offensive action now.

But Iran is pursuing a scorched earth strategy – so we are supporting the collective self-defence of our allies and our people in the region. 

Because that is our duty to the British people.

It is the best way to eliminate the urgent threat and prevent the situation spiralling further.

This is the British government protecting British interests and British lives.

The statement made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 28 February 2026.

Earlier this morning, the United States and Israel struck targets in Iran.

Iran has since launched indiscriminate strikes across the region.

I know the British people and communities across our country will be deeply concerned about what this means for security and stability and for the fate of innocent people across the region – which for so many of us includes friends and family members.

So while the situation is evolving very quickly, I want to set out our response.

The United Kingdom played no role in these strikes.

But we have long been clear – the regime in Iran is utterly abhorrent.

They have murdered thousands of their own people, brutally crushed dissent, and sought to destabilise the region.

Even in the United Kingdom, the Iranian regime poses a direct threat to dissidents and the Jewish community.

Over the last year alone, they have backed more than 20 potentially lethal attacks on UK soil.

So it’s clear – they must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.

That remains the primary aim of the United Kingdom and our allies – including the US.

I condemn Iran’s attacks today on partners across the region, many of which are not parties to this conflict.

We extend our support and solidarity to them.

As part of our commitments to the security of our allies in the Middle East we have a range of defensive capabilities in the region – which we’ve recently taken steps to strengthen.

Our forces are active and British planes are in the sky today as part of coordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people, our interests, and our allies – as Britain has done before, in line with international law. 

We’ve stepped up protections for British bases and personnel to their highest level.

We are also reaching out to UK nationals in the region and doing everything we can to support them.

I have been speaking with leaders today – from the E3, and across the region.

It is vital now that we prevent further escalation and return to a diplomatic process. 

We want to see peace and security, and the protection of civilian life. 

Iran can end this now. 

They should refrain from further strikes, give up their weapons programmes, and cease the appalling violence and repression against the Iranian people – who deserve the right to determine their own future, in line with our longstanding position. 

That is the route to de-escalation and back to the negotiating table.