Declassified UK: Is Starmer lying to the public?

Posted: 23rd March 2026

Last night, Keir Starmer announced that Donald Trump could use British bases to bomb an even wider range of targets in Iran, embroiling the UK even deeper in this illegal war.

At the centre of this escalation is ‘RAF’ Fairford in Gloucestershire, which I filmed outside earlier this week with our chief reporter John McEvoy.

Screens had been put up behind the fences to restrict visibility and roads closed, limiting access for both journalists and members of the public.

However, we were still able to observe a significant US military deployment, including B1 bomber aircraft, large quantities of 2,000lb bombs, and American troops stationed on site. 

RAF Fairford, is the only airbase in Europe capable of launching B1 bombers. There remains a lack of transparency regarding the role the base is currently playing and the destinations of aircraft departing from it.

This comes despite recent polling by YouGov indicating that a majority of the British public opposes the use of UK bases for US military strikes against Iran.

The US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth has openly said there will be “No stupid rules of engagement”, “No democracy building exercise” and that the only ones who need to be worried right now are “The Iranians who think they’re going to live”.

President Trump has said that the US could “Take apart their electric capacity within one hour, and it would take them 25 years to rebuild it”. At least some of the bombs used to commit such war crimes are likely to have been stored or transported through UK bases.

At the same time, the UK government has maintained that Britain “will not be drawn into the wider war”. But with no transparency around US targets in Iran, questions remain about how this position aligns with developments on the ground.

Estimates suggest that since the assault began on February 28th, thousands of civilians have been killed or injured in US-Israeli attacks, underscoring the human cost of the conflict.

Declassified UK has published video footage from RAF Fairforddocumenting these developments and continues to investigate the UK’s role.

Investigations like this are only possible through independent, reader-supported journalism. Declassified UK relies on public support to continue holding power to account and uncovering stories that might otherwise remain hidden.

If you value this work, consider supporting Declassified UK to help ensure these investigations can continue.

In solidarity,

Phil.

Phil Miller

Editor
Declassified UK

Your donations fund our investigations

Monthly donors help make this work possible.