Keir Starmer’s claim that he is only letting Donald Trump use British bases for “defensive” airstrikes on Iran is a “fiction”, a former Royal Air Force officer has told Declassified.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the retired squadron leader said it was “glaringly obvious” that American bomber missions from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire were conducting offensive strikes on Iran.

“Keir Starmer’s insistence that the UK is not involved in the war, and that US aircraft at RAF Fairford are only carrying out defensive missions, is becoming increasingly unsustainable,” the veteran said, describing the policy as “deeply wrong”.