Burnham Lets Trump Use British Bases for Illegal War on Iran

Andy Burnham has granted US president Donald Trump permission to use British military bases as part of his illegal war on Iran.

The new prime minister made the call after being briefed on a high-level meeting about British policy on the war that happened before he took office, Bloomberg reported.

It means the US military will be able to use Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire to conduct bombing runs. The US renewed its attacks on Iran on 8 July.

More than 3,468 people have been killed by US and Israeli attacks on Iran since 28 February, including more than 121 children and 26 teachers in a massacre by the US at a school in Minab.

​After entering Number 10 on Monday, Burnham spoke to Trump on the phone. “The prime minister outlined the UK’s commitment to securing the movement of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” Burnham’s office said in a statement.

​Like his predecessor, Keir Starmer, Burnham’s office claims the UK’s bases will only be used for “defensive” strikes, despite the fact the US-led war has no basis in international law and is unprovoked.​

Trump has made no secret of the fact the US is attacking civilian targets in Iran, including bridges, oil refineries and power plants. In April he warned Iran that “a whole civilisation will die tonight”, raising fears that he was prepared to use nuclear weapons.

On Saturday the US bombed a water desalination plant in Bunji, Hormozgan province, leaving an estimated 10,000 people without drinking water, according to a local official.

Your Party MP Zarah Sultana, a former Labour party politician, criticised Burnham for his early foreign policy choices in a post on X on Tuesday.  

“Day two of Arms Sales Andy,” she wrote. “Still arming Israel. Still sharing intelligence. Still refusing to call the genocide in Gaza what it is. Now he’s allowing Donald Trump to use UK bases for illegal strikes on Iran. Different prime minister. Same imperialist genocidal foreign policy.”

​Prominent anthropologist Jason Hickel wrote on X: “In one of his first acts as PM, Andy Burnham signs on to support the illegal US-Israeli war on Iran. Disgusting, cowardly stuff.”