The UK has agreed to a US request to use British military bases for “defensive” strikes on Iranian missile sites, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
But the prime minister said the UK had learned lessons from the “mistakes of Iraq”, and was not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and “will not join offensive action now”.
Sir Keir said the basis of the decision to accept the US request was the “collective self-defence” of allies and protecting British lives, accusing Iran of pursuing a “scorched-earth strategy”.
The BBC understands the US is likely to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for strikes on Iranian missile sites.
Just to throw a bit of my opinion/analysis into the ring, I think this is only going to end in disaster. Allowing US/Israel to use UK military bases for their illegal war will make UK military bases, assets, and personnel, valid military targets for Iran and puts our people in danger, especially UK citizens in Gulf states.
There’s also a high risk of escalation, considering that if our bases start being targeted for missile/drone strikes in the same way that military bases in GCC states have been targeted, the UK will be left with no choice but to actively defend those bases with military force.
We stand to gain no benefit whatsoever from taking this action. We should have stayed out of it, leave America & Israel to fight their pointless forever war on their lonesome.
the UK will be left with no choice
Doubt.
Those based was there for potentisl attack on Iran to begin with
will make UK military bases, assets, and personnel, valid military targets for Iran
Iran is already treating them like valid military targets though.
Cool… so whatever happens, the UK is once again complicit. We will engage in the defence of allies who are waging wars of aggression in the region.
Can’t be a real Blairite unless you spinelessly fall in line with a US war of aggression.
But the prime minister said the UK had learned lessons from the “mistakes of Iraq”, and was not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and “will not join offensive action now”.
Emphasis mine. Don’t even think about it. Just stay the fuck out of it.
Is he trying to get kicked out of office because it seems like he’s trying to get kicked out of office.
What a pointless stupid decision.
Seems like Labour have been speed running to get themselves sour of government.
To anyone a bit older than this OLD millennial (just hit 42) did it feel like this when Desert storm happened? I remember how fucked the post 9-11 wars were. Or is this actually as unprecedented as it feels?
Unprecedented since support for the Iraq war was substantial, whereas literally nobody wants this war except the billionaire pedophiles.
I can think of one group that really really really wants this war… a certain ally in the region.
“Ally.”
support for the Iraq war was substantial
Not how I remember it, there were over a million people marching in London protesting it.
No this is different.
We’d already been attacked or at least the US had already been attacked, so Desert Storm was a response to that.
This is the UK prime minister serving the UK up on the silver platter. Just so he can continue to brown nose the most corrupt leader the US has ever had, one who has shown he would happily throw us under the bus if he thought it would benefit him. Or perhaps he would do it anyway, just because.
Potentially this could lead to an escalating war with Iran, with no upside. This decision should have been the easiest to make. Why are we getting involved in this war?
Desert Storm was the Iraq War under Clinton in the 90s.
The 2003 invasion of Iraq was “Operation Iraqi Freedom” 🤮.
And Iraq never attacked the US or the UK.
Sir Kid Starver is literally the dumbest people to ever lead a party.
Cool so we’re happy to bomb schools again, after helping with it in Palestine? That tracks I guess 🫠
Starmer hasn’t learned any lessons from anything, ever.
So teach him.
The UK should have kicked the USA out a long time ago.
