Sir Keir Starmer has been slammed for making Britain look “unreliable and weak” in a fresh broadside from former senior military officials.
The defence bosses have sharply criticised the Prime Minister’s decision to deny American forces access to British military bases for potential strikes against Iran.
Rear Admiral Chris Parry savaged the decision at a moment when Washington requires reassurance about Britain’s commitment to opposing authoritarian regimes and maintaining access to Diego Garcia.
“At a time when our US ally needs to be reassured of Britain’s staunch opposition to brutal regimes and about its access to the Chagos Islands and (UK-US military base) Diego Garcia, our Government is proving unreliable and weak,” he said.
Fellow Royal Navy veteran Commander Tom Sharpe concurred, adding that it would be “madness” not to be aligned with the US on this issue.
“We absolutely should let the US use UK bases in launching targeted strikes against Iran. It would be madness not to,” he declared.
Commander Sharpe noted that American forces already have access to Diego Garcia as a joint facility, arguing Britain ought to be “actively supporting” its ally rather than obstructing military planning.
Stuart Fawcett, another former naval officer, told GB News that “cooperation between our nations represents not only the military alliance but that of shared western values in the face of those on the world stage who wish to threaten them”.
Keir Starmer has made Britain look ‘unreliable and weak,’ senior defence figures have warned
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He added: “Although the full situation is not yet clear, it is disappointing to see US forces denied use of infrastructure in their mission to oppose malign forces that threaten our way of life.”
Former army intelligence officer Phil Ingram suggested that Sir Keir was being unduly influenced by human rights lawyers within his administration, specifically pointing to Attorney General Richard Hermer.
Mr Ingram argued that such legal advisers “prefer to say no rather than find a justification to say yes” when it comes to supporting military operations, per the Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, Conservative defence spokesman James Cartlidge condemned the Government’s stance, warning that Iran’s nuclear programme “poses a grave threat to Britain and our allies”.
The Government have denied American forces access to British military bases for potential strikes against Iran
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GETTYThe block prompted President Donald Trump to renounce his backing of the agreement to transfer sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius.
Government concerns centre on whether American military action would comply with international law, with officials wary that permitting use of British facilities could implicate the UK in potentially unlawful strikes.
The Ministry of Defence has refused to discuss what it characterises as ongoing operational matters.
Meanwhile, President Trump has assembled one of the most substantial American military deployments to the Middle East in decades, including two aircraft carriers, though British forces are not anticipated to participate.
President Trump furiously renounced his support of the Chagos deal following the move
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Six American intelligence-gathering aircraft recently departed European bases, including RAF Mildenhall, bound for Saudi Arabia, whilst F-22 Raptor stealth fighters have deployed from Virginia.
The US President confirmed he was contemplating strikes against Iran, issuing Tehran an ultimatum of “ten, 15 days, pretty much maximum” to secure an agreement or face “really bad things”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by announcing that a draft nuclear deal would be prepared within days for presentation to American counterparts.
Tehran has also sought support from Russia while committing to continued negotiations over dismantling its nuclear enrichment programme.