UK blocks Trump from using RAF air bases for potential Iran attack: report
The United Kingdom is blocking the Trump administration from using its military air bases for a possible attack on Iran over concerns that a strike could violate international law.
A report by The Times said the U.S. was drawing up a report to use Royal Air Force base Fairford in England, which is home to America’s fleet of heavy bombers in Europe.
President Donald Trump reportedly spoke with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday about the plans. U.K. officials were reportedly worried that giving the United States permission to use the RAF bases for a military attack could breach international law, according to The Times.
MORNING GLORY: WHAT WILL PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP DECIDE TO DO WITH IRAN?
“Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday.
“An attack that would potentially be made on the United Kingdom, as well as other friendly countries. We will always be ready, willing, and able to fight for the U.K., but they have to remain strong in the face of Wokeism, and other problems put before them.”
Trump has pressed for Tehran to make a deal with the U.S. over its nuclear program.
“President Trump’s first instinct is always diplomacy, and he has been clear that the Iranian regime should make a deal,” a White House official told Fox News Digital. “Of course, the President ultimately has all options at his disposal, and he demonstrated with Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Absolute Resolve that he means what he says.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the use of British military bases against Iran is a “necessity for an attack — it would be beyond surprising.”
“The bottom line is the largest state sponsor of terrorism on the planet is the weakest it’s been because the people of Iran have risen up by the millions to end their oppression and the United States and Israel have delivered crushing blows to the regime’s military infrastructure,” Graham wrote on X.
“To my friends in Britain, sitting this one out puts you on the wrong side of history and is yet another example of how much our alliances throughout Europe have degraded.”
KHANNA AND MASSIE THREATEN TO FORCE A VOTE ON IRAN AS PROSPECT OF US ATTACK LOOMS
On Thursday, Trump told reporters Iran has a maximum of 15 days to make a deal or “it’s going to be unfortunate for them.”
Washington and Britain have been in a rift over the use of Britain’s air bases. Under the terms of long-standing agreements with Washington, the bases can only be used for military operations against third countries that have been agreed in advance with the government, according to The Times.
On Wednesday, Trump withdrew his support for Starmer’s deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. However, a deal would allow the U.K. to keep control of Diego Garcia and its strategically important air base.
“Our relationship with the United Kingdom is a strong and powerful one, and it has been for many years, but Prime Minister Starmer is losing control of this important island by claims of entities never known of before. In our opinion, they are fictitious in nature,” Trump wrote Wednesday.
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“Prime Minister Starmer should not lose control, for any reason, of Diego Garcia, by entering a tenuous, at best, 100-year lease,” he added. “This land should not be taken away from the UK and, if it is allowed to be, it will be a blight on our great ally.”
The U.S. uses Diego Garcia for bombers operating in the Middle East and Asia.
Iraq War flashbacks? Experts say Trump’s Iran buildup signals pressure campaign, not regime change
As U.S. forces surge into the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran, the military posture is drawing comparisons to the 2003 Iraq War buildup. But military experts and former officials say that while the scale of visible force may look similar, the design and intent are fundamentally different.
In early 2003, the United States assembled more than 300,000 U.S. personnel in the region, backed by roughly 1,800 coalition aircraft and multiple Army and Marine divisions staged in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia ahead of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The force was built for invasion, regime removal and occupation.
Today’s deployment tells a different story, and the absence of massed ground forces remains the clearest contrast with 2003.
“I believe there is absolutely no intention to put ground forces into Iran. So, the buildup is very different,” retired Gen. Philip Breedlove, former NATO supreme allied commander of Europe, told Fox News Digital.
IRAN DRAWS MISSILE RED LINE AS ANALYSTS WARN TEHRAN IS STALLING US TALKS
“What is happening is that both firepower and supplies are being moved to the right places. … Amateurs talk tactics; professionals talk logistics. And right now we are getting logistics right, not only in the form of shooters but supplies to sustain an effort,” he said.
John Spencer, executive director of the Urban Warfare Institute, told Fox News Digital, “The strategic objective in both cases is coercion, shaping an adversary’s decision calculus through visible military power. But while the scale of the buildup may appear comparable, what is being mobilized and threatened is fundamentally different.
“In 2003, the United States assembled a ground-centric force built for regime removal, territorial seizure and occupation,” he said. “Today’s posture is maritime and air-heavy, centered on carrier strike groups, long-range precision strike and layered air defense, signaling clear readiness to act while also sending an equally clear message that there are no boots on the ground planned.”
“The recent U.S. military buildup against Iran — which now includes two aircraft carrier battle groups, in addition to dozens of other U.S. planes that have been sent to bases in the region and air and missile defense systems — provides President Trump with a significant amount of military capability should he authorize military operations against Iran,” said Javed Ali, associate professor at the University of Michigan’s Ford School and a former senior counterterrorism official.
Ali noted that U.S. capabilities already in the region at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and other locations give Washington multiple strike options.
If ordered, he said, operations “would very likely be broad in scope against a range of targets like the ruling clerical establishment, senior officials in the IRGC, key ballistic missile and drone production, storage and launch facilities and elements of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, and last for days if not longer.”
IRAN RAMPS UP REGIONAL THREATS AS TRUMP CONSIDERS TALKS, EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS OF REGIME VIOLENCE EMERGE
Breedlove said the incremental deployment of carriers and air assets appears designed to increase pressure, not trigger immediate war.
“We brought in one carrier battle group that did not change the rhetoric in Iran. … So, now the president has started sailing a second carrier battle group to the area. I think all of these things are increasing the pressure slowly on Iran to help them come to the right decision. … ‘Let’s sit down at the table and figure this out.’”
Ali emphasized another major difference with legal authority and coalition structure. The 2003 Iraq War was authorized by congressional authorization for use of military force and backed by a large international coalition, including tens of thousands of British troops.
“Currently, no similar AUMF has been approved by Congress for military operations against Iran, which might mean President Trump may invoke his standing authority under Article II of the U.S. Constitution as commander in chief as a substitute legal basis, given the threats Iran poses to the United States,” Ali said.
That does not mean escalation is risk-free. Ali warned Iran could respond with “ballistic missile attacks” in far greater frequency than past strikes, along with drones, cyber operations and maritime disruption in the Persian Gulf.
Breedlove pointed to lessons learned from Iraq.
“We want to have a clear set of objectives. … We do not want to enter an endless sort of battle with Iran. … We need to have a plan for what’s day plus one,” he said, warning against repeating past mistakes where military success was not matched by post-conflict planning.
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The central military distinction, analysts say, is this: 2003 was an invasion architecture. Today is a deterrence and strike architecture.
The force now in place is optimized for air superiority, long-range precision strikes and sustained naval operations, not for seizing and holding territory. Whether that posture succeeds in compelling Iran back to negotiations without crossing into open conflict may depend less on numbers than on how each side calculates the cost of escalation.
Built for weeks of war: Inside the firepower the US has positioned near Iran
The U.S. military has assembled one of its most substantial concentrations of naval and air power in the Middle East in decades, a force built near Iran not for a limited strike, but for sustained combat operations if ordered.
While diplomats in Geneva trade proposals, the Pentagon has moved beyond a “show of force” to an operational footing that represents the largest concentration of U.S. air power in the region since the Iraq War.
Two-carrier war
Two carrier strike groups now anchor the alignment.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is operating in the Arabian Sea, supported by Arleigh Burke–class destroyers, including the USS Spruance, USS Michael Murphy, USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. and USS Pinckney.
WORLD’S LARGEST AIRCRAFT CARRIER HEADS TO MIDDLE EAST AS IRAN NUCLEAR TENSIONS SPIKE DRAMATICALLY
Transiting the Mediterranean is the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group, escorted by the USS Bainbridge and USS Mahan. Once the Ford arrives in theater, the Navy will establish a dual-carrier strike posture rarely seen outside major conflict.
Under high-tempo conditions, a single carrier air wing can generate more than 100 sorties in a 24-hour period depending on tanker support and target distance. With two carriers operating in parallel, planners can sustain continuous strike cycles — rotating decks so that aircraft are launching from one carrier while the other rearms and recovers.
That posture allows for sustained pressure over multiple days rather than isolated waves.
Hardened targets, repeated strikes
The buildup comes as satellite imagery reveals Tehran, Iran, accelerating defensive preparations.
Commercial imagery published in a report by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) shows Iran reinforcing the Taleghan 2 facility at Parchin with fresh concrete and overburden. Similar hardening is underway at tunnel entrances near Natanz.
“The core issue is all these efforts would complicate the battle damage assessment (BDA) in a post-strike environment,” defense analyst Can Kasapoğlu said. Hardened subterranean targets require repeated “drill” strikes, multiple munitions on the same coordinates, followed by confirmation missions to determine whether facilities have been disabled.
That kind of campaign demands sustained sortie generation and deep munitions reserves.
Suppression and strike depth
While the Department of War has not released exact aircraft numbers, the regional air presence has expanded significantly.
Advanced fighter jets, including F-22 Raptors and F-35 Lightning IIs, have been repositioned at regional hubs. These stealth platforms are designed to suppress air defense systems such as Iran’s S-300 and Bavar-373 batteries.
Once air defenses are degraded, aircraft such as F-15E Strike Eagles and carrier-based F/A-18 Super Hornets would conduct follow-on strikes against missile infrastructure, command nodes and IRGC facilities.
Further depth is provided by long-range bombers.
B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, operating from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri with aerial refueling, are capable of 30-hour round-trip missions. They are the only platforms configured to deliver the 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) against deeply buried targets.
The logistics backbone: A weeks-long window
Senior U.S. officials have disclosed that the Pentagon is preparing for “sustained, weeks-long operations” if conflict erupts — different from the in-and-out Operation Midnight Hammer strikes conducted in June 2025.
Defense analysts say that timeline reflects the realities of munitions burn rates and forward-positioned stockpiles.
In high-intensity conflict simulations, forward-positioned precision munitions can be significantly depleted within roughly three to four weeks depending on sortie tempo and target density. After that point, forces would rely increasingly on resupply from the continental United States, a process that can take additional weeks to scale into a full maritime logistics bridge.
Operations may not come to a halt, but campaign duration would depend heavily on replenishment cycles and industrial production, not just aircraft availability.
SCOTT BESSENT SAYS IRAN UNDERSTANDS ‘BRUTE FORCE’ AS TRUMP WEIGHS OPTIONS AMID NUCLEAR STANDOFF
No ground invasion posture
Notably absent is the kind of troop buildup associated with a ground invasion.
There are no large-scale Army combat formations staging in Kuwait or Iraq for an occupation. The emphasis remains on stand-off strikes and precision airpower, a campaign designed to degrade targets from a distance rather than seize and hold territory.
That distinction carries political weight.
A January 2026 Quinnipiac University poll found that 70% of American voters oppose a direct war with Iran, with even higher resistance to deploying ground troops.
“Talk of the U.S. military potentially intervening in Iran’s internal chaos gets a vigorous thumbs down, while voters signal congressional approval should be a backstop against military involvement in any foreign crisis,” said Quinnipiac analyst Tim Malloy.
Retaliation risk: ‘All-out war’
Iranian officials have warned that U.S. bases in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Turkey would be targeted if Washington launches an attack. Senior Iranian military figures have said any U.S. strike would be treated as “all-out war.”
In response, the U.S. has distributed Patriot and THAAD missile defense batteries across regional hubs to shield its assets from potential missile retaliation.
Diplomacy still on the table
Despite the military posture, talks are ongoing. Iranian officials have said they will return within weeks with additional proposals aimed at narrowing gaps in negotiations.
President Donald Trump has framed the moment in blunt terms.
“We have to make a deal, otherwise it’s going to be very traumatic, very traumatic,” Trump said recently, warning that Iran would face consequences if diplomacy collapses.
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“The presence of so much firepower in the region creates a momentum of its own,” said Susan Ziadeh, a former U.S. ambassador. “Sometimes that momentum is a little hard to just put the brakes on.”
The force now in position — from dual carriers to stealth bombers — is structured not for a single weekend strike, but for endurance.
Whether it is used, and for how long, will depend on decisions made at the negotiating table.
Khanna and Massie threaten to force a vote on Iran as prospect of US attack looms
As the prospect of another U.S. military action against Iran looms, Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., want Congress to pass a measure that would order the president to terminate unauthorized hostilities against the Islamic Republic.
“Trump officials say there’s a 90% chance of strikes on Iran. He can’t without Congress. @RepThomasMassie & I have a War Powers Resolution to debate & vote on war before putting U.S. troops in harm’s way. I will make a motion to discharge to force a vote on it next week,” Khanna declared in a Wednesday post on X.
Massie shared Khanna’s post and commented, “Congress must vote on war according to our Constitution. @RepRoKhanna and I will be forcing that vote to happen in the House as soon as possible. I will vote to put America first which means voting against more war in the Middle East.”
FORMER REP MTG ASSERTS THAT AMERICANS DON’T WANT US WAR AGAINST IRAN
President Donald Trump has been pressuring Iran to make a deal to give up its nuclear weapons ambitions.
After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, Trump said in a Truth Social post, “I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated. If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be.”
“Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a Deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer — That did not work well for them. Hopefully this time they will be more reasonable and responsible,” Trump warned, referring to strikes the U.S. carried out against Iranian nuclear facilities and infrastructure last year.
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Axios reported in an article on Wednesday that a Trump adviser said, “The boss is getting fed up. Some people around him warn him against going to war with Iran, but I think there is 90% chance we see kinetic action in the next few weeks.”
The White House pointed Fox News Digital to comments Secretary of State Marco Rubio made during a press conference on Sunday.
Asked whether the Trump administration will notify Congress in advance if it decides to attack Iran, Rubio emphasized that the president has been clear that his preference is diplomacy. Rubio said, “We’ll always comply with the applicable laws… in terms of involving Congress in any decisions.”
“We’ll follow whatever the law is on it,” he said during a press conference in Slovakia, emphasizing that the focus is on negotiations. “If that changes, it’ll be obvious to everyone, and obviously whatever the law requires us to do, we’ll do.”
Massie introduced the Iran-related measure in June 2025. Khanna and other House Democrats are listed as original co-sponsors. Khanna indicated that he’d use a motion to discharge to advance the measure.
RUSSIA URGES IRAN, ‘ALL PARTIES’ IN MIDDLE EAST TO SHOW RESTRAINT AMID US MILITARY BUILDUP
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“Pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1544(c)), Congress hereby directs the President to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran or any part of its government or military, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force against Iran,” the text of the measure reads, in part.
Khanna said in a Wednesday post on X that, “The War Powers Resolution of 1973 was enacted over Nixon’s veto so that Congress could play an active role to weigh the merits of war and reflect the American people’s will *before* the president unilaterally launched an attack.”
NATO country orders citizens to immediately evacuate Iran, warning ‘possibility of a conflict is very real’
NATO country and U.S. ally Poland warned its citizens Thursday to immediately flee Iran, with its prime minister saying the “possibility of a conflict is very real.”
The remarks from Donald Tusk come as the U.S. has been bolstering its military presence in the Middle East with tensions escalating over Iran’s nuclear program.
“Please leave Iran immediately and under no circumstances travel to this country,” Tusk said Thursday in the town of Zielonka outside of Warsaw, according to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency. “I do not want to alarm anyone, but we all know what I am referring to. The possibility of a conflict is very real.”
“In a few, a dozen, or several dozen hours, evacuation may no longer be possible,” Tusk reportedly added.
RUSSIA URGES IRAN, ‘ALL PARTIES’ IN MIDDLE EAST TO SHOW RESTRAINT AMID US MILITARY BUILDUP
The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and its strike group are moving from the Caribbean toward the Middle East.
The move would place two aircraft carriers and their accompanying warships in the region.
WORLD’S LARGEST AIRCRAFT CARRIER HEADS TO MIDDLE EAST AS IRAN NUCLEAR TENSIONS SPIKE DRAMATICALLY
The USS Abraham Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers arrived in the Middle East more than two weeks ago.
On Wednesday, U.S. Central Command posted photos showing F/A-18 Super Hornets landing on the decks of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea.
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“When launched from a catapult on an aircraft carrier, the Super Hornet can go from a full stop to airborne in under three seconds,” CENTCOM said.