UK Was Informed Ahead Of US-Iran Strike, No Request For Help: Minister

London:
Britain did not receive a US request for its Diego Garcia base to be used in the US strikes on Iran, but it was informed ahead of the attack, senior minister Jonathan Reynolds said on Sunday.
Reynolds said Britain had moved military assets to the region and would take "all action necessary" to defend its key allies if they came under threat. He added that Prime Minister Keir Starmer was talking to allies on Sunday.
"No request was made," the business and trade minister told Sky News. "I know often because of British military assets, RAF Akrotiri (in Cyprus) or Diego Garcia, sometimes that request is made. And this was not a situation where that request was made".
Reynolds added that Britain had been informed of the strike.
"I can't tell you exactly when we did know, but we were informed, as you might expect," he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

NDTV

22 minutes ago

• NDTV

Exclusive: Atomic Agency Veteran Warns of Global Nuclear Risk After US Attack On Iran

New Delhi: In a significant escalation of geopolitical tensions, the US launched a targeted military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, raising global concerns about the potential fallout and future implications. The attack, which focused on three key sites at Natanz, Isfahan and most importantly the Fordow enrichment facility, has prompted widespread speculation about the extent of the damage and the possibility of radiation leaks affecting nearby populations and neighbouring countries. In an exclusive interview to NDTV, Peter Rickwood, former press officer of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna and founder of Atomic Reporters, shared his insights on the situation. Mr Rickwood emphasised that the full impact of the attack would take time to assess, particularly due to the underground nature of the facilities. He noted that without direct inspections of the vaults and centrifuge areas, it would be difficult to determine the actual damage. Importantly, Mr Rickwood pointed out that Iran had recently declared the removal of nuclear material from Fordow and other enrichment sites, raising questions about their current location and status. Mr Rickwood expressed concern over the IAEA's ability to perform its verification duties in a conflict zone. The absence of inspectors means there is no way to confirm whether the nuclear material is being further enriched, potentially to weapons-grade levels. This uncertainty adds to the complexity of the situation and underscores the need for transparency and international oversight. Seven B-2 Spirit bombers were used to attack Fordow nuclear enrichment site in Iran Satellite images of the attack have surfaced, but Mr Rickwood cautioned that these only reveal surface-level damage. He likened the scenario to a mine disaster, where the true extent of destruction lies beneath the surface. While acknowledging the military precision of the operation, he questioned whether the bombs penetrated deep enough to destroy the enrichment equipment and whether any of it had been removed prior to the strike. The implications of the attack extend beyond immediate physical damage. Iran's status as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is now under scrutiny. Mr Rickwood warned that Iran might consider withdrawing from the NPT, following the precedent set by North Korea in 2003. Such a move would eliminate the legal framework for inspecting Iran's nuclear facilities, further reducing global visibility into its nuclear activities. Mr Rickwood has a sombre reflection on the broader consequences of the attack. He expressed fear that the world is entering a highly risky and vulnerable phase, where diplomatic channels are strained and the potential for nuclear proliferation is heightened. The situation calls for careful monitoring, renewed diplomatic efforts, and a recommitment to international treaties that promote peace and security. Mr Rickwood stressed on the urgent need for global cooperation and vigilance in the face of escalating nuclear tensions. As the international community grapples with the aftermath of the attack, the role of watchdog organisations like the IAEA becomes even more critical in ensuring accountability and preventing further destabilisation.

Time of India

4 hours ago

• Time of India

Weaponising hunger: Frederick Forsyth's account of a starved region the world ignored

The late Frederick Forsyth was best known for his thriller novels. But his most remarkable work might have been his first book, The Biafra Story (1969), reporting about the region that tried to break away from Nigeria, but was brutally subdued through weaponisation of famine stands out because it wasn't just man made, but also involved deliberate malnutrition of infants. Forsyth explains how the Eastern Region of Nigeria, which tried to become Biafra, 'was more or less self-supporting in food, being able to provide all of its carbohydrates and fruit, but importing quantities of meat from the cattle-breeding north of Nigeria, and bringing in by sea dried stockfish from Scandinavia, and salt'.Biafra's relative fertility and proximity to oilfields encouraged its leaders' hopes of independence. The actual cause was the marginalisation of Nigeria's Igbo minority by northern Nigerian communities. This again was due to the British colonial habit of patching together a country with little thought of those living in it, and then leaving with little care for the consequences. Unlike with India, the British sought to retain influence in Nigeria because of oil. Forsyth blames Biafra's tragedy on the military and diplomatic support from the UK to Nigeria's leaders 'to cover up that the UK's assessment of the Nigerian situation was an enormous judgmental screw-up'.The region's main crop was cassava, which was processed to make an easy-to-cook starch called gari . Cassava tubers had been introduced to West Africa from Brazil, possibly by returned slaves who knew how to process it to remove toxins. In Longthroat Memories , Yemisi Aribisala's collection of essays on Nigerian food, she quotes a friend of her grandfather to show how much the Biafrans came to depend on gari in the depths of the conflict: 'You dared not make a fire. You would never be that foolish… You made cold-water gari with water from the stream or rainwater, or you made something close to the gari in peacetime by using hot urine.' For a bowl, he recommended taking the helmet from a dead soldier 'with great reverence, if there was a head to talk of, and it became your pot and plate and bowl'.For all the horrors of surviving this way, adults could do it — but children could not. Gari was carbohydrates and children need protein for growth, but the Nigerian government cut off access to meat and dried fish. Forsyth describes how children started developing what would become the key image of the Biafran famine, and others to follow in Africa: 'A reddening of the hair, paling of the skin, swelling of the joints and bloating of the flesh as it distends with water.'This was kwashiorkor , a deficiency disease that occurs when children are given carbohydrates, but not enough protein. Cicely Williams, the Jamaican paediatrician who first described the disease, used a word from Ghana which translates grimly as 'the disease of the deposed child' — meaning what happens when a child is denied breast-feeding because another child has been born. The starchy weaning food given to the first child usually lacks the nutrients of milk, leading to kwashiorkor . Images of Biafran children with kwashiorkor broke through the blackout on news imposed by Nigerian leaders and supported by their British led to a remarkable airlift to supply Biafra with protein, mostly fortified milk powder. It was organised by church groups, but implemented by mercenary pilots, who flew from the island of São Tomé, then part of writes with nuance about the mercenaries, who were there for the money, yet bringing relief. It inspired The Dogs of War , his novel about a mercenary-led coup in Africa. Biafra made the world aware of famine as a weapon of war — and yet, as Gaza shows, we have not learned how to stop it.

First Post

5 hours ago

• First Post

Britain informed ahead of Iran strikes but not asked to provide Diego Garcia base

Britain was informed of the US military strikes on Iran ahead of time, but did not receive any US request for their shared Diego Garcia air base in the Indian Ocean to be used, senior minister Jonathan Reynolds said on Sunday. read more This handout satellite picture provided by Maxar Technologies and taken on June 22, 2025, shows Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), northeast of the city of Qom, after US strikes on the site. Image- AFP Britain was given advance notice of the United States' military strikes on Iran but was not asked to allow the use of their jointly operated Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean, UK minister Jonathan Reynolds said on Sunday. US President Donald Trump announced that American forces had 'obliterated' Iran's primary nuclear facilities in overnight strikes, marking a significant escalation in Middle East tensions. Tehran has vowed to respond with all available means. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Reynolds clarified that the UK did not participate in the strikes but had previously deployed military assets to the region. He emphasised that Britain would take 'all action necessary' to defend its key allies if threatened. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he added, was in ongoing communication with Britain's international partners throughout Sunday. 'I know often because of British military assets, RAF Akrotiri (in Cyprus) or Diego Garcia, sometimes that request is made. And this was not a situation where that request was made,' Reynolds, the business and trade minister, told Sky News. Diego Garcia is a strategically important UK-U.S. military base located in the Chagos Islands. Reynolds said Britain knew about the strike in advance. 'I can't tell you exactly when we did know, but we were informed, as you might expect,' he said. Reynolds said that the government was in 'active conversations' about chartering aircraft to get people out of the region within 'hours, not days', pending the possible reopening of Israeli airspace. Britain's foreign ministry said it was preparing for a charter flight 'early next week', adding that British nationals and their dependants in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories who were interested should register their details. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump's intervention – despite his past pledges to avoid another 'forever war' – threatens to dramatically widen the conflict, after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on Iran last week, with Tehran vowing to retaliate if Washington joined in. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States of sabotaging diplomacy after talks with European powers. 'This week, we held talks with the E3/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy,' he wrote on X. Aragchi later told reporters in Istanbul the United States and Israel had 'crossed a very big red line', asserting Iran would continue to defend itself 'by all means necessary'. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the US strikes, saying Trump's decision to 'target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history'. In response to the US attack, Iran's armed forces said they targeted multiple sites in Israel including Ben Gurion airport, the country's main international gateway near Tel Aviv. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies