UK did not join US-Israel strikes on Iran but ‘stands ready’ to protect interests

The UK did not participate in the major new military strikes on Iran carried out by the United States and Israel, but a government spokesperson said:“We stand ready to protect our interests.”

Keir Starmer chaired a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee on Saturday morning to discuss the situation.

It is understood that British bases have not so far been used in the country-wide strikes on Iran.

But on Saturday, UK jets were used in Qatar in a defensive role against Iranian attacks there.

A government spokesperson responded to the strikes—which are believed to have targeted Iran’s top leadership, including its Supreme Leader—by stating that the regime “must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.”

However, the spokesperson also emphasised that the UK does not want to see further escalation in the region and “supports efforts to reach a negotiated solution.”

Recently, the UK has bolstered its defensive capabilities in the region, including at the Sovereign Base Areas, by deploying radar systems, counter-drone systems, F-35 jets, and ground-based air defences.

In January, Typhoon jets were also sent to Qatar from the RAF’s joint Typhoon squadron for defensive purposes.

Washington and London had also been discussing whether the UK would permit the US to use British bases for any potential strike on Iran.

US and Israeli forces attacked Iran on Saturday morning in what the two countries described as a “pre-emptive” strike against a Tehran government intent on developing nuclear weapons.

The attack prompted retaliation from Iran, with missiles targeting Israel and countries across the Middle East.

The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice to warn against all travel to Israel and Palestine. In a statement on its website, it said: “Due to the threat posed by escalation in the region, we recommend against all travel to Israel and Palestine. On 28 February 2026, the US and Israel commenced joint military action in Iran; Israeli airspace has now closed.”

British nationals in the region are urged to take “sensible precautions,” including following advice from regional authorities, staying away from military facilities, and ensuring travel documents are up to date.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) also updated its travel advice for UK nationals in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait, warning people to “immediately shelter in place.”

The advice stated: “Remain indoors in a secure location, avoid all travel and follow instructions from the local authorities.”

On Friday, the UK and other powers put diplomats and citizens in the Middle East on alert, ordering some to leave their posts amid fears that US military action against Iran could trigger a wider regional conflict.

The UK withdrew its staff from its embassy in Tehran “due to the security situation,” with British officials warning that US military action could be “imminent.”

The US embassy in Jerusalem told non-emergency staff and family members that they could leave Israel.

Responding to the massive attacks by Israel and the US on Iran, a UK government spokesperson said on Saturday: “Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, and that is why we have continually supported efforts to reach a negotiated solution.

“Our immediate priority is the safety of UK nationals in the region, and we will provide them with consular assistance, available 24/7. As part of our longstanding commitments to the security of our allies in the Middle East, we have a range of defensive capabilities in the region, which we have recently bolstered. We stand ready to protect our interests. We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict.”

On Saturday, Israeli authorities said the strikes – dubbed Operation Roaring Lion by Israel and Operation Epic Fury by the US – were intended to “thoroughly degrade the Iranian terrorist regime and to remove existential threats to Israel”.

In a video posted on his Truth Social platform, US President Donald Trump said the attacks were “a noble mission”.

In a statement Kemi Badeonch, the Conservative leader said:”I stand with our allies in the US and Israel as they take on the threat of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its vile regime.

“The same regime that carries out attacks on the UK and on our citizens, that seeks to build nuclear weapons that would threaten our country and that brutally repressed pro-democracy protests only months ago and murdered thousands of its own people. Under my leadership, the Conservative Party will always put our national security first and work with our allies to make the world a safer place.”

Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, added:”The Prime Minister needs to change his mind on the use of our military bases and back the Americans in this vital fight against Iran!”

But Dame Emily Thornberry, chairwoman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that she did not believe the US-Israeli strikes were legal.

She said:“As far as I’m aware, we’re not involved in this. There has not been a British agreement to be involved in this, and I think that’s the right thing to do. I don’t think there’s a legal basis for this action.”

She added: “They were not under imminent threat, and so it’s therefore difficult to see what the legal justification is.”

Lord Peter Ricketts, a former UK national security adviser, told the Today programme: “None of this, I think, is in any sense legal in a way that the UK would recognise. There was really no imminent threat to the US. This is an action that they chose to undertake, or were dragged into by the Israelis.”