UK allows US to use bases to strike Iranian sites targeting Hormuz

LONDON

Plane spotters watch a US Air Force B-1 Lancer bomber taking off from RAF Fairford in south-west England on March 15, 2026.

Britain has authorised the United States to use its bases to strike Iranian sites threatening the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane, the government said Friday.

A spokesperson said ministers met and "confirmed that the agreement for the US to use UK bases in the collective self-defence of the region includes US defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz".

Since the war began on Feb. 28, Britain has allowed the U.S. to use two bases for defensive operations and has deployed air assets to support allies targeted by Tehran's regional retaliatory campaign.