Iran has warned that allowing British military bases to be used by US forces for strikes in the Middle East is being viewed as an act of aggression.
Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi made the warning in a tense phone call with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, according to Iranian state media. A statement from Mr Araghchi said: “Such actions will certainly be regarded as participation in aggression and will be recorded in the history of relations between the two countries.”
The UK Government has insisted it will not be dragged into a wider war, and did not participate in a wave of strikes on Iran by the US and Israel which started on February 28. However Keir Starmer has allowed the use of British bases to target Iranian missiles threatening Britain and its allies.
Responding to the remarks, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds told Sky News: “What I will say is that the Government is absolutely right to protect and defend the 300,000 British nationals who are currently living in the Middle East. But we are also right not to be an active participant – for example, we were called on to provide bases for offensive attacks in Iran, and the Prime Minister refused to allow UK bases to be allowed on that basis.
“We haven’t been dragged into this war, and we do want to see a de-escalation of this conflict.”
This is a Breaking News story. You’ll be more likely to see our stories when any big news breaks in future by simply by clicking this link. You can also join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads – or visit The Mirror homepage.