Foreign secretary denounces ‘reckless Iran threats’ after missiles fired at Diego Garcia
The foreign secretary has said the UK will continue to provide defensive support against "reckless Iranian threats" but insisted it would not be drawn into a wider conflict in the Middle East. Yvette Cooper was speaking after it emerged Tehran had targeted the joint US-UK military base in the Chagos Islands, with reports of two ballistic missiles being fired at the island of Diego Garcia. Supporting UK interests included taking defensive action against ballistic missile threats, she added.
Cooper said the UK recognised "Iran's escalating threats to international shipping as well as their threats to our Gulf partners" and reiterated it wanted to see a swift end to the conflict. The Wall Street Journal and CNN reported on ballistic missiles being fired at Diego Garcia, citing unnamed US officials, but neither weapon reached its target. It is unclear when they were fired.
But it is believed the attempted air strike occurred before the UK agreed to let the US use British military bases to hit Iranian sites targeting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. There are doubts whether Iran has missiles capable of reaching Diego Garcia, which is about 2,350 miles from Iran. One of the missiles fired reportedly failed in flight, while the other was intercepted by a US warship.
The BBC understands the reports are accurate. The US military has declined to comment on the incident. The foreign secretary gave an interview on Saturday afternoon in which she reiterated the UK's position.
Cooper said: "As the prime minister has made clear we will provide defensive support against these reckless Iranian threats but we have not been – and we continue not to be – involved in offensive action. "We will not be drawn into a wider conflict because we think we need to see as swift as possible resolution in the UK national interest but also to support regional stability". The airbase on Diego Garcia is strategically located and is capable of accommodating long-range bombers.
It has been used as a launchpad for operations in the Middle East for years. However, its use in US strikes on Iran has been limited as the UK government has only allowed British airbases to be used for strikes on sites targeting UK interests and allies in the region. On Friday, the government announced it had agreed to allow the US to use British bases to launch strikes on Iranian sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz.
However, Sir Keir Starmer spoke to the Cypriot president on Saturday reiterating that RAF Akrotiri would not be one of the bases used by the US to target Iranian missile sites. Tehran launched several unmanned drones at the military base in Cyprus, one of which struck its runway causing "minimal" damage earlier this month, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said this week the UK's participation was "putting British lives in danger" and that Iran "will exercise its right to self-defence". The Liberal Democrats and the Greens have called for a vote in Parliament on the allowing the US to use UK bases, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch calling it the "mother of all U-turns".
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will separately hold a Cobra meeting next week on plans to help mitigate a rise in the cost of living caused by the war. The International Energy Agency expects the disruption to oil supply to affect wider energy markets. The British government has agreed to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and lease back the base on Diego Garcia.
Sir Keir has previously insisted the deal was necessary to protect the continued operation of the base, amid previous attempts from Mauritius to dispute the legality of British sovereignty over the islands. The Chagos Islands have been under British control since 1814. They were administered from Mauritius, another British colony.
In 1965, the Chagos Islands were made a British overseas territory in their own right, ahead of Mauritius gaining independence, and the UK government paid Mauritius a £3m grant in compensation.