British government sources said London usually coordinates with Washington on military matters, so it is difficult to say whether it is unusual that Britain was not officially informed long before the attacks.
The United States did not share precise operational details or the timing of the strikes with the UK ahead of joint strikes with Israel on Iran, The Guardian reported, citing sources. According to these sources, the US decision not to fully include London in the official information on the air operation came after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused to grant Washington permission to use British military bases in this operation. Following this decision, US President Donald Trump sharply criticized Starmer for the refusal, stating that the “special relationship” between the two countries is no longer what it used to be and calling him “not a Churchill”.
However, Starmer later gave permission for the US to use British bases for defensive strikes against Iran, with the aim of weakening its missile capabilities, after Tehran retaliated with attacks on other countries in the Persian Gulf.
British government sources said London usually coordinates with Washington on military matters, so it was difficult to say whether it was unusual for Britain not to have been officially informed long before the attacks. A Whitehall source confirmed that British authorities knew military action was imminent, due to the collection of equipment and information obtained through normal intelligence channels. However, London was not given the exact timing and operational details of the attack. Britain decided to evacuate its embassy in Tehran on Friday, a signal that it expected the attacks to happen. However, it was not given information about the exact moment they would be carried out over the weekend.
Trump’s request to use British military bases also served as a warning to London that the White House was serious about carrying out the operation, which reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as well as 47 other military leaders.
On Wednesday, during parliamentary questions, Starmer defended his stance after Conservative MP Gareth Bacon criticized him, saying the US is Britain’s most important strategic ally and asking whether the prime minister’s response to developments in the Middle East had strengthened or weakened that relationship. Starmer said British military deployments had been underway for weeks in coordination with the US and that British forces were operating to protect American lives. “American planes are operating from British bases,” he said. “This is the special relationship in action. British planes are shooting down drones and missiles to protect American lives in the Middle East on our shared bases. This is the special relationship in action. The daily exchange of intelligence to keep our people safe is also part of that relationship.”
British military resources committed to the operation include radar systems, ground-based air defense and anti-drone systems, as well as fighter jets.
“Since Saturday morning, several F-35 Lightning II and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft have been operating, not only in the Middle East, but also in Cyprus,” Starmer added. “Further missions were carried out overnight, with Typhoons specifically protecting Qatar, while F-35s supported other Regional partners.” The prime minister’s spokesman later said Starmer would only make decisions that were in the UK’s national interest and that ensured the safety of British citizens. (Euronews.al)