UK approves US use of British bases to strike Iran missile sites targeting ships

But Starmer modified his stance after Iran conducted strikes on British allies across the Middle East, saying that the United States could use RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia, a joint US-UK base in the Indian Ocean.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked Starmer since the conflict started, complaining he was not doing enough to help him.

On Monday, Trump said there were, "some countries that greatly disappointed me," before he singled out Britain, which he said had once been considered "the Rolls-Royce of allies".

The Downing Street statement on Friday called for, "urgent de-escalation and a swift resolution to the war."

(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Alison Williams)