PM defends use of UK bases for defensive action but says Britain has ‘learned the lessons from Iraq’ on need for ‘thought-through plan’
US-Israel war on Iran – live updates
Keir Starmer has said the UK will not join offensive strikes by Israel and the US on Iran, saying the UK does not believe in “regime change from the skies”.
But the prime minister defended the use of UK bases for defensive action, saying that was “the best way to protect British interests and British lives”.
Starmer said the UK had “learned the lessons from Iraq”, which had informed his decision not to get involved in the offensive strikes on Iran. “We all remember the mistakes of Iraq, and we have learned those lessons. Any UK actions must always have a lawful basis, and a viable thought-through plan,” he said.
