Iran Declares UK Base Legitimate Target After US Bomber Raids

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared the RAF Fairford airbase in the United Kingdom a legitimate target on July 23, after the United States used the facility to launch B-1 bomber raids against strategic sites in Iran. The IRGC claimed the U.S. shifted its strategy to bombers from the UK after depleting cruise missile stocks on warships in the Indian Ocean. The IRGC further criticized the British monarchy as the main cause of regional misfortune.

These tensions follow a 12-night U.S. bombing campaign targeting Iranian air defenses, missile storage, and maritime capabilities. In retaliation, Iranian forces struck multiple U.S. bases in Kuwait, including Ali Al Salem and Camp Arifjan. Simultaneously, Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck two Saudi-flagged tankers in the Red Sea, and the IRGC turned back three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the U.S. response would be a head for an eye, while President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iranian infrastructure, such as power plants near Tehran, to protect shipping. The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned British Prime Minister Andy Burnham for allowing the use of UK bases, calling the move an act of aggression. The U.S. maintained that its strikes in Iran's southern provinces were necessary to degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping.