Iran Warns UK Over US Base Access, Says British Support Means ‘Participation In Aggression’

Iran has warned the United Kingdom that any decision to allow the United States to use British military bases in a strike campaign would be seen by Tehran as direct involvement in the conflict, sharply raising tensions amid the widening regional crisis.

According to the Iranian foreign ministry, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi conveyed the message during a phone call with his British counterpart, telling London that any support to Washington in military operations would amount to "participation in aggression". Tehran also said such a move would mark a serious worsening of the already volatile situation.

Tehran says UK role would amount to escalation

In a statement published on his Telegram channel, Araghchi said British assistance to the US would be viewed as an "escalation of the situation", as Iran accused Western powers of siding with Washington and Tel Aviv rather than pushing for de-escalation.

He also lashed out at what he described as the "negative and biased approach of the United Kingdom and some European countries towards this blatant aggression, which violated international law".

The remarks come as Iran seeks to frame recent military actions by the US and Israel as unlawful attacks, while presenting its own response as justified under international rules governing self-defence.

Iran cites Article 51 and defends retaliation

Araghchi stressed that Iran considers its actions protected under Article 51 of the UN Charter, which deals with the right of self-defence after an armed attack.

He said Tehran had responded only after being targeted by the United States and Israel, and argued that its military actions against neighbouring countries were aimed solely at striking American military positions.

Iran maintained that its operations were not intended as broader attacks on regional states, but rather as retaliatory moves against US bases in the area following the strikes it says were carried out against Iranian territory.

Criticism over UK response to Israeli strikes

The Iranian foreign minister also accused Britain of applying double standards in its reaction to the conflict.

Araghchi criticised the UK for failing to condemn Israeli strikes on Iran's South Pars gas field, while at the same time condemning Iran's retaliation against Qatar's refinery.

That contrast, Tehran suggested, reflects what it sees as a selective Western response that condemns Iranian military action while remaining silent on attacks carried out by Israel.

Questions grow over US bombers at UK bases

The warning from Tehran comes amid reports that American bombers have been seen at military facilities in Gloucestershire, England, fuelling speculation over how those bases may be used in the current crisis.

Their presence has prompted fresh scrutiny over whether the deployment is genuinely part of the "defensive" posture described by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, or whether British territory could be used more directly in support of US military operations.

With Iran now publicly warning London of consequences, the issue of US military access to British bases could become a major flashpoint in the broader confrontation.