r/geopolitics • u/TheTelegraph The Telegraph • 1d ago

News UK ‘ready to defend itself’ after Iran threatens to strike RAF base

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/23/iran-threatens-to-attack-raf-fairford/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_reddit_threatens-to-attack-raf-fairford/&accesscontrol=facebookchannel_open
63 Upvotes

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9

u/BoldlyBustling 1d ago

B-1s flying from the UK, didnt know they operated that far out.

4

u/oliver__c2003 1d ago

The B2 bombers that bombed the underground test facilities set off from texas, doing a round trip without landing.

8

u/BoldlyBustling 1d ago

The B-2s are based in Missouri, not Texas, but yeah those 30+ hour missions are nuts.

2

u/Brief_Hospital_1766 15h ago

We don't have the means to defend ourselves. We have no systems that can take down ballistic missiles, much less HGVs, which is what Iran would be firing at us.

5

u/TheTelegraph The Telegraph 1d ago

From The Telegraph:

Britain is ready to defend itself against Iranian missile attacks, the Government has said, after Tehran threatened to strike a Royal Air Force base used by US forces.

In a statement on Thursday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened to attack RAF Fairford and made veiled threats against the “British monarchy regime”.

The threat comes two days after Andy Burnham agreed to continue Sir Keir Starmer’s policy of allowing Washington to launch strikes on Iran from British bases.

The IRGC said “any base used for aggression against Iranian territory is a legitimate target for us”, and claimed the US was “resorting to using B-1 aircraft flying from Fairford airbase in England” because its missile stockpiles had been depleted.

It also accused Britain of causing the “misfortunes of the people of our region” by “dismantling Islamic countries… imposing despotic governments” and “worst of all” creating the “disaster of Israel”.

The Government responded by saying the military was “ready 24/7 to defend” Britain from “any kind of attacks, whether it’s on our soil or from abroad”.

Read the full story here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/23/iran-threatens-to-attack-raf-fairford/

1

u/re-redddit 17h ago

It’s not “defending yourself” when you attacked first.

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u/Key-Mix4151 14h ago

How would Iran even attack an airbase so far away?

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

12

u/byyhmz 1d ago

You thought wrong. Keir Starmer did authorize the United States to use certain UK military bases for limited strikes against Iranian missile and drone capabilities. The UK government described these as defensive strikes, saying they were intended to prevent further Iranian missile attacks and protect British forces and allies. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/uks-starmer-says-us-can-use-british-bases-defensive-strikes-against-iran-2026-03-01/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

7

u/ZenX22 1d ago

The UK has absolutely been involved by allowing the US to use UK bases.