War through Britain: US fighter jets and bombers pass through UK bases

Keir Starmer has said that the UK “does not believe in regime change from the skies” and that lessons from the Iraq war have been learned.

Yet 11 days into the US-Israeli war on Iran, the prime minister is allowing the UK to become increasingly involved in a conflict that has been widely criticized for violating international law.

In fact, Britain’s involvement began back in January when both UK and American weaponry started moving east in preparation.

Here’s a breakdown of Britain’s involvement:

Safe passage for US planes 

American planes have been transiting through British military bases on their way to the Middle East since early January after Trump said the US was “locked and loaded” and ready to help Iranian protesters. 

Planes have been tracked passing through RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall, both in Suffolk, and have also moved through Prestwick Airport, a civilian airport in Scotland.

Over 100 fighter jets have left RAF Lakenheath for the region since January, according to the Lakenheath Alliance for Peace, an activist group focused on US activity at the base.

Additionally, the group says more than 25 C-17 transport planes, which can carry troops and cargo and are typically deployed before an operation, have transited through during that period.

Activists tracking the activity argue that the quantity of American planes passing through British military bases shows how important they have been for the US strategically.

At least one of the jets from Lakenheath, an F-15, was reportedly among those which crashed in Kuwait during the war, confirming their involvement in the conflict.

Use of bomber bases 

Before the US and Israel attacked Iran, Starmer refused to allow the US to use RAF Fairford and the British base at Diego Garcia to bomb Iran directly, reportedly over concerns that such strikes would violate international law. 

Unlike the bases being used for transiting aircraft, these bases are important specifically for bombing missions.

RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire has a 10,000-foot runway and is the US Air Force’s only European airfield for heavy bombers. Diego Garcia has a runway long enough for US B-2 stealth bombers to bomb deep inside Iran. 

After the US and Israel campaign began, Starmer announced on 1 March that the US had requested – and the UK had approved – the use of British bases to launch “defensive” operations against Iran.

On Monday, three American B-52s arrived at RAF Fairford, joining other American aircraft (B-1s) that have turned up since Starmer’s announcement.

The deployments come as the US and Israel repeatedly attack civilian targets and oil infrastructure across Iran, plunging the capital Tehran into a black cloud of toxic smoke. 

It remains unclear how the UK can ensure the US only strikes targets in Iran that pose a threat to “British interests” on these bombing runs.