British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has backed continued access to British military bases for US aircraft conducting operations against Iran, Bloomberg reports.
The new government will therefore continue the policy of the previous administration under Keir Starmer, which allowed the United States to use British infrastructure for operations in the Middle East.
On Friday, while still serving as prime minister, Starmer held a meeting with senior officials. The participants discussed London’s position following the resumption of US strikes on Iran.
The ministers decided after the meeting to leave the existing arrangements unchanged. These allow US aircraft to use the base on Diego Garcia and Royal Air Force Fairford.
Burnham, who took office on Monday, was briefed on the outcome of the discussions. The new prime minister approved the decision, according to the news agency’s sources.
Bloomberg notes that the move could draw criticism from the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats. Both oppose making British bases available to US forces, arguing that the policy makes the United Kingdom “complicit in war crimes.”
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