Nigel Farage tells LBC Britain has 'hindered' US attack on Iran & Starmer should come out and back Trump

23 June 2025, 11:50 | Updated: 23 June 2025, 12:27

By Natasha Clark

@NatashaC

Nigel Farage has told LBC that Britain has "hindered" the US attack on Iran by not using the Diego Garcia airbase.

The Reform leader urged Sir Keir Starmer to step up and support America - after the strikes on Iranian nuclear bases over the weekend.

The Prime Minister has refused to explicitly say the UK supports the action - and has insisted de-escalation is needed instead.

But Mr Farage stopped short of saying the UK should join in with military support, if America were to request it.

He said that using the air base in Diego Garcia would have been "safer, more sensible" and given more of an "element of surprise".

Speaking at a press conference in Westminster this morning, he told LBC: "I'm not sure America is going to need our help with Iran. I think we've hindered them already... I have little doubt Diego Garcia would have been used for this. It would have been safer, more sensible, more element of surprise.

"I doubt they're going to ask for our help, but they could do with our support.

"And let's see what the Prime Minister has to say on this very important matter in the House of Commons later on today."

As America strikes Iran, Britain ‘sits on the fence’

Mr Farage said Israel did not have "any choice" but to strike Iran - despite not seeking approval from Congress before the strikes.

President Trump has insisted he took action in a bid to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

He went on: "I don't think Israel frankly had any choice. As Iran moves closer and closer to nuclear weapon capability, and as Iran clearly states they want to wipe Israel and its people off the face of the map, I don't think they had any choice at all.

"I am pleased that the Americans have intervened.

"In this case, this Iranian regime, brutal, evil [regime]... They've been there for four decades and I still find it actually quite difficult to believe that Obama, the European Union and of course the ever reliable British Foreign Office got all of this completely and utterly wrong with the JCPOA agreement just over a decade ago, which just simply allowed tens of billions of dollars to be freed up for the Iranians, which they've used to fund the Houthis, Hamas, Hezbollah and anybody else that intends to cause grief.

"So I hope and believe that the American reports are right and that Iran no longer has nuclear capability and we'll see what comes after that."

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