London, United Kingdom. Britain said its armed forces were ready to protect the country from any attack after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned against allowing US bombers to operate from British bases.
The warning followed Britain’s renewed commitment to an existing agreement permitting the United States to use UK bases for what London described as the collective self-defence of the region.
Iranian warning
In a statement on Thursday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said the United States had flown bombing missions against Iran from Fairford in southwest England.
The IRGC said any base used to launch such attacks would be considered a legitimate target.
British response
Prime Minister Andy Burnham was notified last week that Britain had recommitted to the existing agreement allowing the United States to use British bases.
“Our armed forces are ready to keep the United Kingdom safe from any kind of attacks, whether it’s on our soil or from abroad,” a government spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said Britain used a layered approach to air and missile defence involving Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force assets equipped with advanced capabilities and operating closely with NATO allies.
US operations
The government said on Wednesday that the arrangement covered US defensive operations intended to degrade missile sites and capabilities used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Responding to the Iranian warning, the spokesperson said Britain’s position had not changed and that it remained committed to defending its people, interests and allies in accordance with international law while avoiding involvement in a wider conflict.
The United States carried out a 13th consecutive night of attacks on Iran after the effective collapse of an interim truce, while Tehran fired at US bases in neighbouring Arab countries.
In March, Iran was reported to have fired two ballistic missiles at the US-UK military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Neither missile hit the target.