From 2 Mar 2026UK isn’t joining military strikes on Iran, will focus on defence insteadIn a statement that stressed Britain was not involved in the initial wave of attacks on Iran, Starmer said that the country will not join the US and Israel in offensive strikes. Instead the UK will focus on “defensive actions”.Starmer added that the US will use British bases for similar purposes, with a goal of destroying Iran’s capability to fire more missiles.“We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran, and we will not join offensive action now, but in the face of Iran’s barrage of missiles and drones, we will protect our people in the region, and support the collective self-defence of our allies, because that is our duty to the British people,” he said.“It is the best way to eliminate the urgent threat, to prevent the situation spiralling further, and support a return to diplomacy. It is the best way to protect British interests, and British lives. That is what this government is doing.”Key events2 Mar 2026Summary2 Mar 2026UK isn’t joining military strikes on Iran, will focus on defence instead2 Mar 2026RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus is not being used by US bombers, Starmer says2 Mar 2026Starmer: Despite initial decision to not get involved, Iran's 'outrageous response' cannot be ignored2 Mar 2026Starmer says he stands by his decision to not get involved in intitial strikes on Iran2 Mar 2026International law should not be a barrier to military action, Badenoch says2 Mar 2026Scottish Labour leader condemns father's social media post praising Ayatollah2 Mar 2026Farage supports regime change in Iran2 Mar 2026Cooper: British interests are being targeted by Iran2 Mar 2026Greece to send two frigates and two F-16 fighter jets to Cyprus2 Mar 2026Report: Trump ‘very disappointed’ in Starmer over Iran2 Mar 2026Tories accuse Starmer and Labour of 'sitting on the fence' with Iran2 Mar 2026Two more unmanned drones heading toward British base in Cyprus shot down2 Mar 2026Cyprus 'does not intend to be part of any military operation', Cypriot president says2 Mar 2026Starmer faces greater quandary over ‘special relationship’ after Iran attack2 Mar 2026'The UK is not at war': Middle East minister2 Mar 2026'Simply not true' that UK is being pulled into escalating Iran conflict, Cooper says2 Mar 2026RAF airbase in Cyprus hit as Cooper defends decision to allow US to use UK bases for Iran strikesShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureSummaryThank you for following along with our live coverage today. While we’re closing this blog, you can continue to follow the latest developments in our Middle East crisis blog, which is tracking the escalating conflict.Tune in tomorrow for more. Here’s what’s happened so far today: