UK Deputy PM Lammy: RAF Could Legally Strike Iranian Missile Sites

UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy stated in a BBC interview that Royal Air Force jets could legally strike Iranian missile sites being used to attack British interests in the Middle East. The statement represents the most explicit UK escalation signal since the war began. Downing Street immediately sought to manage the fallout, with a spokesperson refusing to speculate on hypotheticals and pointing to published legal advice emphasising defensive action. The spokesperson said the UK's focus is on allowing the US to take out those missiles at source while defending the skies. However, Downing Street acknowledged the UK is adopting a broad definition of British interests, which if struck could serve as the tripwire for offensive action against Iran. The immediate context is a drone strike earlier this week that hit a hangar at RAF Akrotiri, one of two British sovereign base areas in Cyprus. Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller accused Lammy of sliding down the slippery slope to full conflict and called for urgent clarification. The episode signals UK policy is closer to active participation than publicly stated.