The US did not share exact operational details or timings with the UK before the joint strikes with Israel on Iran, sources have told the Guardian.
The US decision to cut the UK out of the official loop on the airstrikes came alongside Keir Starmer’s decision to decline permission for the US to use British military bases for the operation.
Since then, Donald Trump has attacked Starmer for his refusal to let America use the military sites, saying the special relationship is not what it was and calling him “no Churchill”.
The prime minister has since granted permission for the US to use British bases for defensive strikes on Iran to degrade its missile capability, after Tehran hit back at other countries in the Gulf.
Government sources said the UK was usually aligned with the US on military matters, so it was not possible to say whether it was unusual for Britain not to have been officially informed well ahead of the strikes.
One Whitehall source confirmed that the UK knew action was imminent through the buildup of equipment passing through and intelligence “via the usual channels”, but was not given a tipoff about the exact time and operational details of the attack.
The UK made the decision to evacuate its Tehran embassy on Friday, signalling it believed the strikes were coming – but it was not given details about when they were likely to take place over the weekend.
Trump’s request to be able to use British military bases for the strikes also gave the UK warning that the White House was serious about proceeding with the operation, which killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as 47 other military leaders.
Starmer robustly defended his approach in prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, after Tory MP Gareth Bacon said: “The USA is our most important international, strategic ally. Does the PM believe his dithering and equivocal response to the events in the Middle East this week has made that relationship stronger or weaker?”
Starmer said British military deployments had been under way for a number of weeks, in contact with the US, and told MPs British forces were in operation protecting US lives.
“The American planes are operating out of British bases,” he said. “That is the special relationship in action. British jets are shooting down drones and missiles to protect American lives in the Middle East on our joint bases. That is the special relationship in action. Sharing intelligence every day to keep our people safe. That is the special relationship in action. Hanging on to President Trump’s latest words is not the special relationship.”
The British military resources being deployed included radar systems, ground-based air defences and counter-drone systems as well as fighter jets.
“Since Saturday morning multiple F-35s and typhoons have been in operation, not just in the Middle East but across Cyprus,” Starmer added. “Further missions were flown overnight, Typhoons defending in particular Qatar, and F-35s defending other regional parties.”
The prime minister’s spokesperson later added: “The PM has been crystal clear on that he will only take decisions that are in Britain’s national interests and which will keep British people safe.”
