Britain Enters the Fight — UK Approves US Strikes From British Bases
In what Sky News called the “mother of all U-turns,” the United Kingdom on Friday approved the use of British military bases for American strikes targeting Iranian missile sites that threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
A Downing Street spokesperson confirmed that “the agreement for the US to use UK bases in the collective self-defence of the region includes US defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.”
The decision came just hours after President Donald Trump publicly branded NATO allies as “COWARDS” for refusing to help reopen the critical waterway through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil passes daily.
Britain had previously limited US basing permissions to operations preventing Iranian missiles that directly threatened British interests. Friday’s expansion marks the first time London has authorized offensive strikes from UK soil against Iranian military targets — a significant escalation of allied involvement in Operation Epic Fury.
2,000+ Marines Heading to the Persian Gulf
The Pentagon is not slowing down. Reuters reported Friday that the US military is deploying a large amphibious assault ship carrying more than 2,000 Marines and sailors to the Middle East — the latest troop surge as the war enters its fourth week.
Three US officials confirmed the deployment to Reuters, describing it as part of a broader effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz and support ongoing operations against Iranian fast-attack craft, coastal missile batteries, and naval mines.
This comes on top of the A-10 Warthog deployments announced earlier this week, with Air Force Gen. Dan Caine confirming the legendary ground-attack aircraft are now “engaged across the southern flank, targeting fast-attack watercraft in the Strait of Hormuz.”
According to a Defense Intelligence Agency assessment reported by New York Magazine, Iran could potentially keep the Strait of Hormuz shut for anywhere from one to six months — making the Marine deployment critical to reopening the world’s most important oil chokepoint.
The South Pars Fallout: Trump vs. Netanyahu
Day 21 is unfolding against the backdrop of a remarkable public rift between the United States and Israel over energy strikes.
On Wednesday, Israel struck production infrastructure linked to Iran’s South Pars natural gas field — part of the largest gas reserves on the planet. The strike triggered immediate retaliation from Tehran, which launched attacks on energy facilities across the Persian Gulf, including targets in neighboring Gulf states.
President Trump was furious. He told reporters he “knew nothing” about the Israeli strike and had told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt attacks on Iranian energy sites. Netanyahu, in a press conference on Thursday, confirmed that Israel “acted alone” in the South Pars bombing and that Trump “asked us to hold off on future attacks, and we are.”
But the damage was done. Oil prices spiked, with US crude hitting $94.29 per barrel before pulling back slightly after Netanyahu’s remarks. The Politico reported that Trump had called Qatari leaders to distance himself from the Israeli strike, with one source familiar with the conversation saying: “The only way Trump is going to snap out of this is to realize that Bibi Netanyahu is playing him.”
The New York Times’ David Sanger described the episode as exposing “sharply different strategies” — with Trump trying to preserve Iran’s oil and gas infrastructure to keep energy prices down, while Israel pursues a more aggressive approach aimed at triggering what Israeli officials have called “state collapse.”
Iran Warns of ‘Zero Restraint’
Tehran’s response has been escalatory. Iranian officials warned of “zero restraint” if energy facilities are attacked again, signaling that the South Pars strike may have crossed a threshold that changes Iran’s calculus.
Iran’s new supreme leader — whose identity and authority remain murky following the death of Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war — issued another purported statement on Friday, though notably without video or audio, denouncing the US-Israeli “delusion of domination.”
The Iranian Red Crescent reports at least 204 children among more than 1,444 people killed since the war began on February 28.
Meanwhile, Fox News reported that Netanyahu claimed Iran can “no longer enrich uranium or manufacture ballistic missiles” — framing Operation Roaring Lion (Israel’s codename) and Operation Epic Fury as having achieved their core military objectives.
The $200 Billion Question
As the war enters its fourth week, the financial reality is coming into focus. Fox News reported Friday that the Pentagon is preparing to request supplemental funding from Congress — with some reports suggesting the ask will exceed $200 billion.
The funding fight is expected to be contentious, with some members of Congress already questioning the war’s scope and duration. Trump has repeatedly promised the war would be over “very soon” without providing specifics.
The Strait of Hormuz: Still Choked
Despite the massive military buildup, the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to commercial traffic. The United Nations’ International Maritime Organization said it will begin negotiating with countries to establish a humanitarian corridor to free approximately 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Gulf — though no timeline was given, and Iran’s cooperation is far from guaranteed.
A joint statement from European nations, Japan, and Canada condemned “in the strongest terms” Iran’s attacks on unarmed commercial vessels, civilian infrastructure, and the “de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces.”
Trump, meanwhile, lashed out at allies for not contributing warships to help secure the passage, expressing frustration that the burden is falling almost entirely on the US Navy.
What Comes Next
Day 21 of Operation Epic Fury marks a potential turning point. The UK’s decision to open its bases brings the first major NATO ally into active support of US military operations against Iran. The Marine deployment signals preparation for a more sustained campaign to physically reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
But the Trump-Netanyahu split over energy strikes, the spiraling costs, and Iran’s refusal to back down suggest this war is far from the quick operation the White House initially promised. With oil prices elevated, 20,000 seafarers trapped, and a $200 billion funding request heading to Congress, the political and economic pressures are mounting on all sides.
This is Day 21. And the questions are only getting harder.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as the situation evolves.