British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Saturday that British forces and aircraft were participating in coordinated defensive efforts to protect the country’s interests and allies but were not involved in U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran.
The strikes targeted Iran’s senior leadership and plunged the Middle East into a widening conflict that U.S. President Donald Trump said would eliminate a security threat to the United States and give Iranians an opportunity to topple their rulers.
“Our forces are active and British planes are in the sky today as part of coordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people, our interests and our allies, as Britain has done before, in line with international law,” Starmer said in a video statement posted on X.
“We’ve stepped up protections for British bases and personnel to their highest level.”
The government did not immediately respond to requests for further details about the defensive operations.
Starmer said Iran must never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons and stressed that preventing that outcome remains a priority for Britain and its allies.
The prime minister reiterated that Britain did not take part in the U.S. and Israeli strikes earlier Saturday but described Iran’s leadership as “utterly abhorrent.”
Starmer spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz following a COBRA emergency meeting earlier in the day, part of a series of consultations with allies.
In a joint statement, the leaders condemned “Iranian attacks on countries in the region in the strongest terms” and called for a return to negotiations, urging Iran’s leadership to pursue a diplomatic solution.
In his video statement, Starmer said it was critical to prevent further escalation into a broader regional conflict and added that Iran could end the confrontation immediately.
“They should refrain from further strikes, give up their weapons programs, and cease the appalling violence and repression against the Iranian people, who deserve the right to determine their own future, in line with our longstanding position,” he said.
Earlier Saturday, the British government advised against all travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories and urged British citizens in Gulf states to seek shelter. On Friday, Britain relocated embassy staff from Tel Aviv to another location in Israel.