Burnham Approves US Use of UK Bases for Some Strikes on Iran, Bloomberg Reports
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has approved the US use of some UK bases for 'defensive' air strikes on Iran, in a continuation of a policy introduced by his predecessor Keir Starmer.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
The decision comes as US bombardment targeted cities across Iran for the 11th consecutive night, with Iranian media reporting explosions in cities including Bushehr, Tabriz and Chabahar and in the provinces of Kurdistan and Ilam.
The UK is allowing the US to use some of its airbases to attack Iran. This is a continuation of a policy started by the previous prime minister. Some people are worried that this could break international law.
Analysis
A Continuation of Predecessor's Policy
The decision by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham to approve the US use of some UK bases for 'defensive' air strikes on Iran marks a continuation of a policy introduced by his predecessor Keir Starmer. This policy was announced in early March, with Starmer arguing that the bases were to be used for defensive purposes. The agreement was later expanded to allow for the US to launch strikes from UK bases on Iranian sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz, invoking 'collective self-defence' of Gulf state allies as a legal basis for the decision.
International Law Concerns
Human Rights Watch's UK director, Yasmine Ahmed, wrote to the prime minister, highlighting that the government's legal justification for the move failed to mention issues related to international humanitarian law (IHL). She cited a number of instances which have raised questions around US compliance with IHL, including an air strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab, at the start of the US-Israeli assault on 28 February. Over 150 people were killed in the attack, most of them children. A preliminary investigation into the strike by the Pentagon found that the US military was responsible for the attack.
Backlash Expected
Burnham's decision comes shortly after a phone call with Trump in which he 'outlined the UK's commitment to securing the movement of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz', according to a readout from his office. In a subsequent post on his Truth Social account, Trump reported that the call covered 'North Sea Oil, Trade, the Military Alliance, Demining of the Hormuz Strait', saying that the discussion 'went very well'. The move is likely to face backlash from UK rights groups, who previously warned that the policy could violate international law.
Key points
- The UK has approved the US use of some UK bases for 'defensive' air strikes on Iran.
- The decision marks a continuation of a policy introduced by the previous prime minister, Keir Starmer.
- Human Rights Watch has raised concerns that the policy could violate international law.
- The US and Iran have been engaged in a conflict for the 11th consecutive night, with Iranian media reporting explosions in cities across the country.
If the US and Iran can find a way to resolve their differences peacefully, it could lead to a reduction in tensions and a decrease in the risk of conflict in the region.
The situation in the Middle East is highly volatile, and the US and Iran's ongoing conflict could lead to a wider regional war, with potentially devastating consequences for civilians and the global economy.
