UK bars US from using RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia for Iran strikes

The United Kingdom has not given the United States permission to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire or the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia for any potential strikes on Iran, a decision London says is driven by concerns that taking part in military action without clear legal justification could breach international law.

The withholding of access has added a political strain to already heightened US-Iran tensions, with the White House reportedly drawing up detailed strike plans regardless. The United States has moved warships, aircraft and other military assets toward the region, and market reports say oil prices have reached a six-month high as investors price in the risk of escalation.

President Donald Trump has publicly criticized the British stance and warned of the consequences for bilateral cooperation. In a Truth Social post he wrote: "Should Iran decide not to make a deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the [RAF] Airfield location in Fairford [Gloucestershire], in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous regime." He also said the world would find out "over the next, probably, 10 days" whether the US would reach a deal with Iran or take military action. Mr Trump has framed his objections in recent posts as tied to a proposed UK plan to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while leasing back Diego Garcia, calling the proposal a "big mistake" and the leaseback arrangement "tenuous" and "no good."

London has sought to keep operational details off the public record. "As routine, we do not comment on operational matters," a UK government spokesperson said, adding that "there is a political process ongoing between the US and Iran, which the UK supports. Iran must never be able to develop a nuclear weapon, and our priority is security in the region."

The bases named have long been important to US operations. RAF Fairford has hosted US heavy bombers and, alongside Diego Garcia, has been used in past Middle East operations, although neither was employed in strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities last year. RAF Fairford and other UK bases were most recently used by US forces in support of the seizure of the tanker Bella 1 earlier this year.

Beyond the immediate strategic contest, public health and social consequences are already emerging as central risks. Military escalation would threaten hospitals, medical supply lines and civilian infrastructure across the Gulf and in Iran, amplifying humanitarian needs and disrupting chronic care for people with cancer, diabetes and other conditions. Rising oil prices increase the cost of transport and energy, squeezing household budgets and public services and disproportionately affecting low-income communities. Refugee flows and damage to port and shipping routes would further strain regional health systems and the global supply chains on which medicines and medical equipment depend.

Legal caution by London reflects not only procedural prudence but a recognition that military operations carry disproportionate risks for civilians and health systems. With US planners said to be preparing strike options and diplomacy reportedly continuing in Switzerland, the next days will test whether legal and humanitarian considerations can temper military planning.

For communities and health services on both sides of the Atlantic, the central question is whether governments will prioritize clear legal authorization and bilateral coordination to reduce the chance that conflict will cascade into a wider humanitarian crisis.