We All Remember The Mistakes Of Iraq – Starmer Reacts As Iranian Drone Hits UK RAF Base In Cyprus

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared that Britain will not join offensive military action against Iran, insisting that the “mistakes of Iraq” have been learned, even as an Iranian drone struck a United Kingdom (UK) air force base in Cyprus.

Speaking late Sunday, Starmer stressed that the United Kingdom had deliberately stayed out of the initial wave of strikes carried out by the United States and Israel.

“I want to be very clear: we all remember the mistakes of Iraq. And we have learned those lessons,” he said.

“We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and we will not join offensive action now.”

Naija News reports that hours after his remarks, a drone reportedly launched by Iran hit the runway of the RAF Akrotiri, a key British military installation in Cyprus.

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said the attack occurred shortly after midnight.

“A Shahed unmanned aerial vehicle crashed into the military facilities of the British Bases in Akrotiri, causing minor material damage,” he said, noting that the impact was specifically on the airport runway.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed the location of the strike and said the government was assessing the damage while exploring options to assist British nationals in the region.

The base, located near the southern coastal city of Limassol, forms part of a British overseas territory and serves as a strategic hub for UK operations in the Middle East.

‘UK Is Not at War’

Despite the attack, UK officials maintained that Britain is not a party to the conflict. Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer insisted that the government had taken a “deliberate decision” not to participate in the first wave of US-Israeli strikes.

“Let me be really clear: the UK took a deliberate decision not to be part of the first wave of strikes conducted by the United States and Israeli governments.

“But in the face of reckless attacks from Iran on a whole range of allies in the region… we took the decision, as the Prime Minister announced last night, to support the US’s request to use our bases in order to conduct defensive actions,” he said.

Starmer had earlier disclosed that Britain agreed to Washington’s request to use UK bases strictly for a “specific and limited defensive purpose.”

Cooper revealed that about 300,000 British citizens are in Gulf countries now affected by Iranian strikes, with some airspace closures complicating evacuation efforts.

“There’s an estimated 300,000 British citizens in Gulf countries that have now been targeted by Iran, including countries where now airspace is closed,” she told Sky News.

She urged British nationals to register with UK authorities and follow local safety guidance.

According to the foreign secretary, more than 100,000 UK nationals have already registered their presence in the Middle East.

Scottish teacher Felicity Flanagan, who lives in Dubai, described hearing loud explosions while at the beach with friends.

“Moments later, we actually saw what we believed to be shrapnel from the missile then fall into the water in front of us,” she told BBC Radio Scotland.

She said she has since remained indoors in line with British embassy advice.

Different From Iraq – Expert

Addressing comparisons with the 2003 Iraq war, Rosa Freedman, an international law expert at the University of Reading, said the current hostilities are “materially different.”

She noted that the conflict is unfolding in the context of broader regional tensions following the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and ongoing concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme.

“The Iranian people have tried for many years to overthrow this regime, including tens of thousands of young people being slaughtered in the streets over recent weeks. Regime change needs to happen for domestic and international stability and security,” she said.