Britain 'rebuffs US plans over Iran operation'

The government has reportedly told the United States that it will not allow American troops to use the British military in a decision that could have an impact on a potential pre-emptive strike against Iran.

It had previously been believed that Diego Garcia, the British-governed island in the Indian Ocean, could be drawn into an Israel-Iran conflict.

But the Guardian reported on Friday that Britain had used secret legal advice to suggest any pre-emptive strike could breach international law.

The newspaper said US diplomats had lobbied for troops to use Diego Garcia, as well as British bases in Cyprus and Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean, during their planning for a possible conflict in the Gulf, but had been rebuffed.