“This government does not believe in regime change from the skies,” Sir Keir Starmer told MPs, setting out Britain’s line on the fast-moving Iran crisis. Across the North, firms with staff in the Gulf and families with relatives in the region listened closely for what it meant next.

In his first Commons statement since the strikes, the prime minister defended refusing a US request to use British bases for the initial wave, citing the lessons of Iraq and insisting any UK role must have a lawful footing with an achievable objective. “We all remember the mistakes of Iraq,” he said.

By Sunday, the stance shifted. Starmer said Iran’s “outrageous” retaliation had become “a threat to our people, our interests and our allies”, and authorised US access to UK bases strictly for defensive missions against Iranian missile infrastructure. Sky News and the Guardian reported RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and the joint UK‑US base on Diego Garcia are in scope for that limited role.

The military backdrop is stark. On Saturday, the US and Israel struck targets in Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to reporting from Associated Press. Tehran responded with missiles and drones across the region, reaching as far as Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and disrupting shipping near the Strait of Hormuz.

The UK felt the heat directly. The Ministry of Defence confirmed a suspected Iranian drone hit RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus around midnight local time, causing limited damage and no casualties, with other drones intercepted. British Forces Cyprus issued a security alert as Cypriot authorities advised residents to shelter in place, The Independent and the Guardian reported.

Starmer stressed Britain is not joining offensive action. “To be clear, the use of British bases is limited to the agreed defensive purposes,” he told MPs, adding that the government has published a summary of its legal position based on collective self-defence. He underlined that UK jets have focused on protective tasks rather than strikes on Tehran.

At home, the politics turned sharp. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the government of “dither and delay” and urged Starmer to stand fully behind Washington, pointing out that allies such as Australia and Canada backed the initial US action. She framed the choice as a test of resolve against a hostile state in Tehran.

From Reform UK, deputy leader Richard Tice argued Iran has been a permanent threat to Britain and claimed President Trump’s strikes had “done the West a huge, huge favour”. He said the prime minister looked weak for not supporting the US from the outset and warned of reputational damage for the UK.

Criticism also came from parties to Labour’s left. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey warned that failing to stand up to Trump “makes our country less safe”, recalling past US wars launched without clear end‑states. The Greens’ foreign affairs spokeswoman Ellie Chowns condemned what she called an illegal US‑Israeli attack and demanded MPs get a vote on any UK involvement.

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said allowing US use of British bases “creates further risks and dangers”. Starmer replied that the UK is not at war and will not participate in US‑Israeli offensive strikes, drawing a firm line between limited defensive support and wider military engagement.

For travellers and firms, officials urged Britons in the Middle East-holidaymakers and business people alike-to register with the government; ministers say more than 100,000 have already done so. The Guardian has reported around 200,000 UK nationals are in the countries targeted by Iranian missiles and drones. The Foreign Office is preparing contingencies if flights across Gulf hubs remain grounded.

Northern exporters to the Gulf-chemicals on Teesside, advanced manufacturing in Sheffield and aerospace across Lancashire-are braced for higher shipping insurance and patchy air freight via the Strait of Hormuz. Airports and travel operators across Manchester and West Yorkshire say they are tracking FCDO advice and airline schedules by the hour as the situation evolves.

For now, Downing Street’s position is narrow but clear: limited defensive support from UK soil, no offensive action, and a legal case built on collective self‑defence. The coming days will show whether that balance holds amid pressure from Washington, critics at home and businesses across the North watching their routes to market.