The British government announced that its armed forces are ready to defend the country 24/7 following statements from Iran declaring UK military bases used by the United States to be legitimate targets. Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s administration has maintained permission for the US to use facilities including RAF Fairford.
The British government stated that its armed forces remain prepared to protect the nation against any domestic or foreign aggression.
RAF Fairford Operations and the Transatlantic Agreement
American aircraft have operated from British soil as part of a broader conflict that began on 28 February. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued its warning after United States B-1 bombers flew missions from the Gloucestershire airfield once naval missile stocks in the Indian Ocean were exhausted. In a statement published on the IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency on 23 July, the group said American bombing missions had been launched from RAF Fairford two days earlier.
London initially authorized the US use of domestic bases and the overseas facility at Diego Garcia in March under strict parameters. Officials specified that the installations could target Iranian military infrastructure used to attack Gulf countries and vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has kept that policy since taking office on 20 July, and the government said last week that it was recommitting to the existing agreement letting the US use British bases in what it described as the collective self-defence of the region, after he was notified that a decision had been taken to extend the agreement with the US.
Iranian Warnings and Direct Accusations Against London
Iran’s Foreign Ministry and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued separate statements condemning the ongoing military cooperation. The IRGC published a declaration titled Warning to the British monarchy
on Thursday—marking the 46th statement the IRGC has issued since the conflict resumed—condemning historical British actions in the Middle East and asserting that the UK shares responsibility for the ongoing conflict.
“As Foreign Ministry officials have also clarified, any base used to invade Iranian territory is our legitimate target.”
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
The statement went on to warn the British monarchy, calling it the main cause of the misfortunes of the people of our region
and citing a dark record of dividing Islamic countries, widespread massacres in these countries, imposing authoritarian governments, and worst of all, organising and leading the occupation of Palestine and the creation of the Israeli Nakba
.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry characterized the British government as a principal architect of regional instability alongside the IRGC’s statement, condemning the decision to allow US use of British bases and warning that any party taking part in aggression against Iran would carry responsibility for the consequences. Tehran pointed to long-standing grievances, including the 1953 coup, British backing for Iraq in the 1980s war, nuclear sanctions, and the recent proscription of the IRGC itself.
British Defense Posture and Strategic Calculus
In response to the threats, Downing Street maintained its standard policy of refusing to comment directly on foreign military sorties or whether the base was used by the US for operations against Iran this week, while outlining the nation’s defensive readiness as reported by Reuters on Thursday.
“Our Armed Forces are ready to keep the United Kingdom safe from any kind of attacks, whether it’s on our soil or from abroad. The UK stands ready 24/7 to defend itself.”
UK government spokesperson
Authorities emphasized that national protection includes through operating a layered approach to air and missile defence, provided by Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force assets equipped with a range of advanced capabilities, working closely with our NATO allies. While previous Iranian threats included ballistic missile launches toward the remote Diego Garcia base in the Chagos Islands on 19 March—where one reportedly failed mid-flight and another was shot down by a US airship—analysts and US reports have noted that Iran’s missile arsenal has been severely degraded by strikes, raising doubts over the reliability and accuracy of the inventory.
Sources: bbc.co.uk.
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