Burnham sticks with Starmer's Iran policy, keeps UK bases open to US: Report

New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has approved the continued use of British military bases by the United States for operations against Iran, maintaining the policy adopted by his predecessor Keir Starmer, according to a Bloomberg report published on Tuesday (July 21).

The decision allows US aircraft to continue operating from British facilities, including Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, for what Washington and London describe as "defensive" missions. These operations are aimed at countering Iranian missile threats and protecting commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The report said Starmer chaired a meeting of senior ministers and officials on Friday to review Britain's position after US military operations against Iran resumed earlier this month. Burnham, who took office as prime minister on Monday, was briefed on the outcome of those discussions and endorsed the decision to continue granting the US access to British bases, the sources told Bloomberg.

The policy is expected to draw criticism from opposition parties and sections of the British left, who argue that permitting the use of UK military facilities could make Britain complicit in US military action against Iran.

According to Bloomberg, UK officials have also expressed concerns over the legal implications of potential US strikes. Those concerns reportedly intensified after US President Donald Trump warned that Iranian civilian infrastructure could become a target.

Neither the UK government nor the US administration has publicly commented on the Bloomberg report. The arrangement, however, reflects continuity in Britain's defence cooperation with Washington despite the change in leadership at Downing Street.