Britain’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, approved British bases for U.S. strikes on Iran, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing Bloomberg.
Britain’s newly sworn-in Prime Minister Andy Burnham has approved the use of British bases for U.S. strikes on Iran. The Jerusalem Post reported the decision Tuesday, citing Bloomberg.
Bloomberg said Burnham kept a policy that his predecessor, Keir Starmer, put in place. The policy classifies the strikes as “defensive,” not an active war, Bloomberg reported. So far, Burnham’s office hasn’t issued an official statement on the decision, The Jerusalem Post said.
Bloomberg says Starmer policy stays
Bloomberg didn’t identify the British bases involved. But the report also said Starmer led a Friday meeting with senior ministers and officials. They discussed the United Kingdom’s policy toward the war, according to Bloomberg.
Burnham’s approval puts Britain in a direct support role for U.S. operations against Iran. Still, Bloomberg’s report, as cited by The Jerusalem Post, framed the policy as defensive rather than a declaration of active war.
War reaches tenth night
AP reported Tuesday that U.S. strikes against Iran had reached a tenth consecutive night. Tehran had struck a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, AP said.
The strikes hit military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air-defense systems, according to AP. The wire service also listed strike locations in Hormozgan, Fars, Ilam, Kerman and Sistan-Baluchestan, and it reported injuries near Urmia.
On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that the United States could target Iran’s nuclear site in Pickaxe Mountain if diplomacy failed, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Ceasefire proposal remains on table
Meanwhile, Reuters reported on July 20 that mediators had passed Iran a proposal for a 10-day ceasefire. The proposal aims to cool the war and revive last month’s interim U.S.-Iran deal, Reuters said, citing a senior Iranian official.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, said Monday that Tehran was pursuing both war and diplomacy based on national interests. He also said Iran had received mediator proposals about a possible restart of talks.
