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BBC

The UK Says the US Can Use Its Bases for Operations in the Strait of Hormuz

bryan_clark
bryan_clark
Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology
Bryan Clark
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) sails in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 3, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo)
Caption
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) sails in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 3, 2026. (US Navy)

On BBC, Bryan Clark discusses the United Kingdom’s decision to allow the United States to use its bases, highlighting that these facilities host B-1 Lancer bombers capable of carrying the largest payloads deployable in the region. He emphasizes that access to these bases is essential for large-scale strikes along the coastline to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while noting that a California-based unit will replace forces called in from Japan as part of a broader effort to rebalance US presence in the Indo-Pacific as the war in Iran continues.