Britain's Defense Secretary refused to explicitly support recent U.S. and Israeli military strikes against Iran, stating America must justify the legal grounds for its actions. The strikes reportedly killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, according to Iranian state media.
LONDON – The United Kingdom’s Defense Secretary John Healey stopped short of endorsing weekend military strikes conducted by the United States and Israel against Iran, telling reporters Sunday that America must “set out the legal basis of the action it took.”
Iranian state media has confirmed that the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died in Saturday’s air strikes.
Speaking to BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Healey emphasized that Britain had no involvement in the military action, though the UK shares Washington’s goal of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capabilities.
When pressed about whether the strikes complied with international law, Healey responded: “It is for the U.S. to set out the legal basis of the action that it took.”
The Defense Secretary described Iran’s response as increasingly reckless, noting that Iranian forces have been targeting civilian infrastructure including airports and hotels alongside military installations.
“We have strengthened the UK defences in the region, we are active in regional defence operations,” Healey stated during an interview with Sky News.
He confirmed that British military aircraft stationed at bases in Qatar and Cyprus are currently conducting operations to intercept drone attacks aimed at allied forces and installations in the region.