Burnham ‘approves use of British military bases for US strikes on Iran’ as Trump vows he’s ‘not finished at all’

ANDY Burnham has given the go-ahead to the US to use British military bases for “defensive strikes” against Iran, it has been reported. The new PM has continued with Keir Starmer’s controversial policy – with Donald Trump vowing today he is “not finished yet”. A USAF Rockwell B-1 Lancer bomber takes off on a sortie from RAF Fairford over the Cotswold village of Kempsford Credit: Getty Andy Burnham talks to staff during a visit to The Passage Homeless Charity on July 20, 2026 Credit: Getty RAF bases like Fairford and Diego Garcia can continue to be used by the Americans to strike the Islamic Republic, Bloomberg reports. It is the first major judgment by the Labour leader, who risked coming to blows with Donald Trump if he declined access to US aircraft. Sign up for the Politics newsletter Thank you! In his final hours in 10 Downing Street, Starmer chaired a COBR meeting on UK policy after seven days of renewed US bombardment of Iran. Ministers at that meeting chose to continue with the existing policy that bases could be used for countering the Iranian missile threat and sites used to target the Strait of Hormuz, sources revealed. Burnham was informed of the decision – and appears to have agreed with it – despite the risk of angering anti-war Labour voters. Some Labour MPs, the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats have also argued that the use of the bases makes the UK complicit in war crimes. Asked about the use of UK bases, a US official told The Telegraph: “Trump has made clear his deep disappointment about NATO allies’ lack of support throughout Operation Epic Fury, which is making the entire world safer by denuclearising Iran. “The US has thousands of troops stationed in Europe to protect Europe, but requests to use NATO bases during this conflict were denied. Most read in The Sun USAF military ground personnel prepare Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) for a US Air Force (USAF) B-1 Lancer bomber jet on the tarmac at RAF Fairford Credit: AFP A US Air Force B-1 Lancer bomber at RAF Fairford in south-west England on March 15, 2026 Credit: AFP “The US expects to be able to use its bases in Europe to advance global, and European, security.” Trump previously came to blows with Starmer when the then-M refused his request at the start of the war in February. This comes as the US President said he had a “very good” talk with the new PM on Monday. “We discussed many subjects, including the outstanding relationship we have had with the UK,” he wrote on Truth Social. This included “North Sea Oil, Trade, the Military Alliance, Demining of the Hormuz Strait, and many other topics”. Trump added: “The call was interesting, and went very well.” Comment now