Defence secretary defends UK stance on Iran as Starmer faces backlash
Keir Starmer is facing mounting criticism from senior Conservatives over Britain’s response to the escalating conflict with Iran, as defence secretary John Healey confirmed UK forces are actively intercepting Iranian drones and reinforcing regional defences.
Speaking on Sky News, Healey said “few people will mourn the Ayatollah’s death”.
He described the Iranian regime as a long-standing source of instability that has sponsored terror abroad and backed more than 20 plots on UK soil in the past year alone.
But while the US and Israel have launched direct strikes on Iranian targets, the UK has limited its role to defensive operations, a choice that is fast becoming politically contentious.
RAF jets are flying from Cyprus and Qatar as part of coordinated regional defence, and additional radar and counter-drone systems have been deployed.
A British unit reportdely shot down an Iranian drone threatening a coalition base in Iraq over the weekend.
Healey also confirmed that two Iranian missiles were fired in the direction of Cyprus, where the UK maintains key military bases, and that around 300 British personnel were stationed near sites targeted in Bahrain.
Asked by Laura Kuenssberg whether Britain was “on the side of those two countries who have killed Iran’s Supreme Leader”, Healey replied: “I think people watching will want to know that Britain is on top of what’s necessary to keep them safe.”
As Kevin Schofield noted on X, that was not a direct yes.
When asked whether US strikes were lawful, Healey declined to offer backing. “That is for the US to set out and explain”, he said. “It’s not for me, as defence secretary of the UK.”
The UK declined to say whether it believes US-Israeli strikes on Iran are legal as missile attacks continued across the Middle East on Sunday.
Explosions were heard in multiple Gulf states as Iran vowed to carry out its “most intense operation” ever in retaliation for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tories accuse Starmer of ‘sitting on the fence’
The government’s refusal to endorse the US action, or to confirm whether British bases were offered for use, has drawn criticism from across the Conservative benches.
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said the US was “absolutely” right to act and accused the Prime Minister of failing to work more closely with Washington.
She also renewed calls to proscribe the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Former security minister Tom Tugendhat also questioned whether Britain is doing enough to defend its interests in the Gulf.
“We do not have the assets to get involved in attacking sites in Iran, but we should be defending our interests”, he said.
“Where are the British ships providing missile defence for the UAE? Where are the Royal Navy vessels keeping the sea lanes open and the energy flowing to the UK that will keep our lights on?”
Tugendhat added: “A British Prime Minister who isn’t prepared to put our forces on readiness to protect our allies in the UAE, Bahrain, and elsewhere is not defending our interests. We have HM’s Armed Forces but Belgium’s PM.”
The row comes as economic risks mount, with Iran having signalled it could seek to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil supply passes.
Healey said Rachel Reeves is monitoring energy markets closely, warning that previous conflicts have fed rapidly into higher inflation and household bills.