Iran warns Britain will ‘bear responsibility’ after report says UK approved US use of bases for strikes

Iran on Thursday condemned Britain’s reported decision to allow the United States to use British military bases for strikes against Tehran, warning that any country assisting military action against Iran would “bear responsibility for the consequences.”

The warning came after a media report said that British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had approved continued U.S. access to military facilities, including Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and RAF Fairford in England, to support operations against Iran.

In a statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said London’s decision to provide military bases and logistical support for what it described as Washington’s “illegal” attacks violated the U.N. Charter and international law.

“The British government’s decision to make its military bases and facilities available to support the illegal military aggression of the United States against Iran constitutes a violation of the principles and rules of international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” the ministry said.

The ministry argued that Britain’s move amounted to “an act of aggression” under Article 3(f) of U.N. General Assembly Resolution 3314, which defines aggression as allowing a state’s territory to be used by another country to carry out attacks against a third state.

It said British policymakers were fully aware that the U.S. military campaign against Iran, launched with Israel’s participation, was a “blatant act of aggression” and that any assistance in preparing or conducting such operations “constitutes complicity in the crime of aggression and war crimes.”

The ministry also criticised Britain, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, for backing what it called the aggressor states rather than condemning the attacks.

“Instead of condemning the unlawful military aggression, Britain has chosen to support the aggressors, a decision that is incompatible with its declared commitment to the rule of law, human rights, and international peace and security,” the statement said.

Iran also accused Britain of a long history of hostile actions toward Tehran, citing the 1953 coup, support for Iraq during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, sanctions over its nuclear programme, backing efforts to trigger the U.N. “snapback” mechanism and the designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“Iran is determined to defend its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interests against foreign aggression, and any party that participates in military aggression against Iran in any way will bear responsibility for the consequences of its decision,” the ministry said.

The media report said on Wednesday that Burnham had authorised the United States to continue using the Diego Garcia military base and RAF Fairford for operations against Iran, extending a policy introduced under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The United States has carried out strikes across Iran since last week, while Tehran has responded by targeting facilities and bases it says are used by the U.S. military in several countries across the region.