LONDON/MOSCOW/MADRID/BERLIN/PARIS/ANKARA – Britain is not joining the US and Israeli “offensive strikes” on Iran, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday.
Speaking to the British parliament, Starmer said making decisions like this requires “a lawful basis for what the United Kingdom is doing” and “a viable thought-through plan”.
He said this is the principle he applied to the decision not to get involved in the “offensive strikes” of the United States and Israel on Iran, adding, “This government does not believe in regime change from the skies.”
“President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest,” he said.
US President Donald Trump said he is “very disappointed” in Starmer for blocking him from using the military base in Diego Garcia to carry out strikes on Iran, according to British media reports on Monday.
Britain’s previous refusal to let US forces use the base was unlike anything that had “happened between our countries before,” Trump said.
In a statement on Sunday night, Starmer accepted the US request to use the base for “specific and limited defensive purposes”. But Trump said Starmer “took far too long” to change his mind.
The Chagos Archipelago houses a key US-British military base. Britain in 1965 detached the archipelago from Mauritius, then a British colony, and leased Diego Garcia, the largest island of the archipelago, to the United States as a joint U.S.-British military facility in the following year.
Under a deal announced in May 2025, Britain agreed to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while leasing back Diego Garcia for 99 years at 101 million pounds ($136 million) annually.
Trump last month called the lease a “big mistake”, noting that it “may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia” if nuclear talks with Iran fail.
Efforts for peaceful nuclear resolution
In his phone call with the United Arab Emirates’ President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said US-Israeli attacks on Iran disrupted efforts to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the Iran nuclear issue.
Putin said the “unprovoked act of armed aggression” against a sovereign United Nations member state violates the fundamental principles of international law.
The two presidents discussed the situation in the Middle East, the Kremlin’s press service reported.
Both sides noted the need for a swift ceasefire and a return to the political and diplomatic process, it added.
Spain says not to support military action
In separate remarks made on Monday, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares and Defense Minister Margarita Robles said Spain will not support military action taken by the US and Israel against Iran and will not authorize the use of Spanish bases for such operations.
In an interview with media, Albares called for respecting the international law and warned that the logic of violence only leads to further escalation.
While each country makes its own foreign policy decisions, Europe’s voice at this time should be one of balance and moderation, working toward de-escalation and a return to negotiations, he said.
In an interview with Spanish national television RTVE, Robles said that the military bases in Moron de la Frontera and Rota, located in southern Spain, have not provided any form of support to the United States and will not be authorized for military action against Iran.
Germany: No intention of participating in military action
In an interview with German radio station Deutschlandfunk, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul clarified that Germany has no intention of participating in military operations against Iran.
Wadephul expressed concerns over the escalation in the Middle East.
On Sunday, France, Britain, and Germany issued a joint statement saying they would “take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region”.
France says ready to take part in defense of Gulf states, Jordan
Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said at a press conference that France is ready to participate in the defense of the Gulf countries and Jordan based on binding agreements.
Barrot said the military action against Iran should have been debated before the United Nations Security Council before unilateral moves by Israel and the United States.
He also called for an end to the conflict, warning that the indefinite continuation of military operations without a clear objective “carries the risk of a spiral that could draw Iran and the region into a prolonged period of instability.”
Turkiye to intensify diplomatic push
Also on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkiye will intensify diplomatic efforts at all levels until a ceasefire is reached on Iran, warning that a prolonged conflict would unleash regional and global turmoil.
“Turkiye is determined to intensify contacts at all levels until a ceasefire is reached on Iran and calm is established,” Erdogan said during a fast-breaking dinner with members of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Ankara.
“We want bloodshed to stop, tears to cease, and for our region to finally attain lasting peace it has long yearned for,” he added.