Iraq 2003, Iran 2026: By handing its airbases to US, is Britain repeating same mistake? | Analysis Britain finds itself at a familiar and uncomfortable crossroads, having quietly handed its military bases to the United States for strikes on Iran. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is repeating the same catastrophic mistake that dragged the country into the illegal Iraq war in 2003, this time without a single parliamentary vote, debate, or moment of public accountability.