Burnham's First Major Call Keeps US Strikes Flying From UK Bases
The new premier signed off on Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford launches against Iranian missile sites threatening Hormuz shipping.
- A COBRA meeting Starmer chaired on July 17 set the policy Burnham chose not to reverse.
- UK officials call the missions defensive, aimed only at missile sites, not the wider war.
- The call is Burnham's first major test just days into succeeding Starmer as premier.
Why it matters: A new premier's first big decision was to change nothing: the war commitment survives whoever holds the office.
Bloomberg ↗ · Jul 21, 20267/21/26 · ✓ Checked✓ Check