20th Mar 2026 10:48
(Alliance News) - Iran's foreign minister has warned the UK it sees its choice to let the US use British bases as "participation in aggression" in a phone call with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised the "negative and biased approach of Britain" towards the US-Israeli military action against Iran, as well as the UK's decision to provide military bases for the US to use.
Keir Starmer has granted the US permission for "defensive" action against Iranian missile sites from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
In a post in Farsi on Telegram, Araghchi said he told Cooper: "These actions will definitely be considered as participation in aggression and will be recorded in the history of relations between the two countries.
"At the same time, we reserve our inherent right to defend the country's sovereignty and independence."
The UK has faced repeated criticism from Donald Trump since the war began, and is among countries the US president has recently berated for failing to respond to his request for support in the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran's throttling of the key shipping route and attacks on energy facilities across the Gulf have heightened concerns about the security of the supply of fossil fuels.
On Friday, oil and gas prices retreated after painful cost spikes the previous day and financial markets calmed at the end of another turbulent week.
The declines follow a statement late on Thursday by Israeli's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would hold off on any further attacks on Iran's gas field at the request of Trump after the Iranian retaliation sent oil prices skyrocketing.
Starmer meanwhile acknowledged the cost-of-living pressures people are facing ahead of new measures being set out on Friday to revamp neighbourhoods.
As households brace for a further squeeze on their wallets, Housing Secretary Steve Reed will meet local people and community leaders to discuss ministers' efforts to protect their finances.
Ahead of Friday's visit, Starmer said: "I know how much pressure rising costs can put on families here in the South East and beyond – especially when there is uncertainty on the global stage.
"That's why this government is acting to protect household budgets, keep everyday costs down and provide reassurance at home – while listening directly to people about what matters most to them."
Starmer has said that the longer the conflict continues, "the bigger the impact on the cost of living," arguing that "the best way forward is a negotiated settlement with Iran".
It comes as the Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey said reopening the Strait of Hormuz is the "best thing to do" to prevent interest rates rising, after a vote to leave the rate unchanged at 3.75% on Thursday.
Bailey said any further cuts are "not on the horizon" as he hinted at possible hikes, adding that the war in the Middle East will likely increase household energy costs in summer and put pressure on food prices.
He told LBC's Andrew Marr: "The duration of this problem is crucial. I would also say very clearly that the best way to solve this situation is not through monetary policy. It is through sorting out the source of what's going on.
"Frankly, reopening the Strait of Hormuz is the best thing to do. Get the energy market back on its normal footing, as it were."
Iran has increasingly targeted energy sites in Gulf states after Israel bombed the South Pars offshore natural gas field on Wednesday.
On Friday, Kuwait said its Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery had been struck by Iranian drones, sparking a fire.
The prime minister has sought to focus on living costs since the start of the year with visits to local communities across Britain, but geopolitical turmoil has often shifted attention elsewhere and threatens to derail his plans to bring bills down.
Action already taken by the government to support consumers includes a GBP53 million support package for low‑income households who rely on heating oil, the cost of which has skyrocketed since the start of the war, and frozen rail fares and prescription charges.
Downing Street also noted that the South East will benefit from new funding for flood schemes announced this week, with a GBP99 million investment promised to protect homes and businesses in the region.
By Helen Corbett and Sophie Wingate, Press Association Political Staff
Press Association: News
source: PA
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