United States President Donald Trump has said he is “very disappointed” with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over an initial refusal to allow the use of British bases for operations linked to Iran. British media have also focused on the subsequent drone attack on RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus following London’s decision to grant limited access.
Dispute over use of Diego Garcia
In comments to the The Daily Telegraph, Donald Trump said he was frustrated that Sir Keir Starmer had initially blocked the use of the UK base on Diego Garcia for strikes on Iran.
According to the newspaper, the United Kingdom had first refused permission on the grounds of international law. On Sunday evening, however, Starmer confirmed that the UK had agreed to a US request to use British military bases in the wider region for “specific and limited defensive purposes”.
Trump said Starmer had changed his position “too late”, adding that such a development had likely “never happened before between our countries”.
Drone strike on RAF Akrotiri
British media report that after London granted approval, Iranian drones targeted RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
The UK government has not announced where the unmanned aircraft were launched from or specified their type. The Daily Telegraph, which is often cited as having strong defence sources, reported that the drone which struck the base may have been launched from Lebanon and that the attack could have been orchestrated by Hezbollah.
Other reports do not exclude the possibility that the drone was launched directly from Iranian territory. British analysts cited by the press noted that a drone known as the “AK-47” has a reported range of 2,500 kilometres, while the distance between Akrotiri and Iran is approximately 1,900 kilometres.
Commentators have also questioned how the drone was able to cross Cypriot airspace, given that British forces have reinforced regional bases in recent months with anti-drone systems, F-35 aircraft and radar capabilities.