RAF site hit by drone as Starmer allows US to use British bases to target Iran

A Royal Air Force airfield has been hit by a drone as Sir Keir Starmer gave the US permission to launch military strikes against Iran from British bases.

Officials said RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was continuing to operate as normal despite the attack but family members of personnel had been moved away from the base as a precaution.

It is not yet clear whether the base was hit with a drone fired directly from Iran or from Tehran-backed proxies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The attack struck Akrotiri hours after the Prime Minister announced that American forces would be allowed to use British bases to strike Iranian missile sites in response to the barrage launched by Tehran against countries across the Middle East.

The drone is believed to have been launched before Sir Keir announced he had allowed US forces to use British bases rather than in retaliation to the policy shift.

Around 300,000 Britons are believed to be in countries targeted by Iran, with 102,000 registered with the Foreign Office for updates as officials examine all options, including a potential mass evacuation.

Officials said the damage inflicted on Akrotiri by the kamikaze drone was “minimal” and there were no casualties.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “The safety of our personnel and their families is our absolute priority.

“As a precautionary measure we are moving family members who live at RAF Akrotiri to alternative accommodation nearby on the island of Cyprus.

“Our base and personnel continue to operate as normal protecting the safety of Britain and our interests.”

Late on Sunday, the Prime Minister said he had agreed to a US request to use British bases to protect UK nationals and allies in the region, accusing Iran of pursuing a “scorched earth strategy”.

Sir Keir said British forces would not be directly involved in the strikes, and the bases would only be used for the “specific and limited defensive purpose” of targeting missile storage depots and launchers being used to attack Iran’s neighbours.

He said: “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.”

It is not clear which bases will be involved, but Donald Trump has previously indicated Diego Garcia – one of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean – and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire could be used to attack Iran.

Protection

Sir Keir’s decision followed a day of conversations with regional leaders, during which it is understood they asked the UK to do more to protect them from Iranian missiles.

The Prime Minister insisted the decision was fully in line with international law, and the Government has published a summary of its legal position setting out that it is acting in “collective self-defence”.

The UK will also continue to carry out the defensive operations that have already seen British forces shoot down Iranian drones threatening northern Iraq and Qatar.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski condemned the decision, saying Sir Keir had jumped into “yet another Middle East illegal war”, while the Liberal Democrats demanded MPs be given a say on allowing the US to use British bases.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the decision was “better late than never” and described Sir Keir as “a follower, not a leader”.

British involvement

There was no British involvement in the initial wave of strikes carried out by the US and Israel which targeted Iranian defences and senior personnel, resulting in the death of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said it was “not in the UK’s interests” to support those attacks but told Times Radio it was right to get involved now to protect Britons.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office has mounted an unprecedented operation to support British nationals in the region.

Ms Cooper said “every possible option” was being examined to protect Britons trapped in the Gulf, including a mass evacuation.

She told Sky News: “We’re saying to people, the most important thing at the moment is to follow the local advice, which in most places is around sheltering in place, and we are sending out rapid deployment teams to the region to work with the travel industry, to work with local governments as well, to make sure that citizens can get support.

“Of course, we want people to get safely home as swiftly as possible.”