Starmer Responds as Trump Presses NATO for Strait of Hormuz Security

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1432 EAT on Monday 16 March 2026

BBC Verify has observed a sharp decline in videos shared from inside Iran, suggesting authorities have further tightened internet restrictions.

A woman in Tehran told the BBC that some people using Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service to bypass the restrictions have been arrested. An Iranian man who contacted the BBC said that Starlink terminals were being disconnected.

Monitoring group NetBlocks reported a “collapse in connectivity” on a key telecoms network that had previously remained partially online.

Iran has historically maintained a whitelist granting internet access to certain officials, state-affiliated groups, and journalists. However, the latest developments indicate that even some of these connections may now be curtailed.

Authorities first restricted internet access on 28 February, following the US and Israeli air strikes on Iranian targets.

Access for international journalists remains heavily restricted, making social media footage and messages from inside the country a vital source for reporting on the conflict. Experts warn that the tightened restrictions are likely to impact the speed and accuracy of information emerging from Iran.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has launched a “wide-scale” wave of strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure in several cities, including Tehran, Shiraz, and Tabriz.

In a statement on the messaging app Telegram, the IDF said:
“The IDF has just begun a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in Tehran, Shiraz, and Tabriz.”

The strikes come amid continued US and Israeli attacks on Iran, with reports of heavy bombing in Tehran overnight.

Gulf countries have also reported increased Iranian attacks during the same period, escalating tensions in the region.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Monday that it has begun limited, targeted ground operations against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon.

The operations come amid Israel’s ongoing campaign against the Iran-backed group, which the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) says has already displaced over 800,000 people across Lebanon since US and Israeli military actions against Iran began.

Images from Beirut show the humanitarian impact, with many residents forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in the capital.

The Israeli military has announced that it destroyed a plane formerly used by Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport overnight.

According to the military, the aircraft had also been used by senior Iranian officials and military personnel to facilitate weapons procurement and coordinate with allied countries.

Beyond this, the Israeli military continues to target missile launchers in Iran, with one report claiming that 70% of these systems have been destroyed or rendered inoperable.

Work and Pensions Minister Pat McFadden told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the current situation in the Middle East was not foreseen when NATO was established.

“NATO was not conceived with the kind of situation we’re seeing in the Middle East in mind,” McFadden said.

Founded in 1949 by 12 countries, including the US and UK, NATO’s core principle under Article 5 is that an attack against one member is considered an attack against all.

Earlier on the programme, former Chief of Defence Staff Gen Sir Nick Carter said that NATO “is not an alliance designed for one ally to go on a war of choice and then oblige everyone else to follow.”

McFadden agreed, describing the ongoing conflict as “not a NATO war” but rather a “US-Israeli action”, highlighting that NATO’s collective defence obligations do not automatically extend to the current situation.

Former UK Defence Chief Says Britain Should Consider Sending Warships and Drones to Middle East
The UK Prime Minister should consider deploying warships and drones to the Middle East to support the US in its conflict with Iran, according to former Chief of Defence Staff Gen Sir Nick Carter.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Gen Carter said it is in Britain’s national interest to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, a vital route for global trade, and stressed its importance for the world economy.

Asked about Iran’s military capabilities, he noted that while Iran’s navy may be weaker than in the past, the navy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) remains “very much alive and well.”
He added that the IRGC’s arsenal includes shore-based missiles, drones, armed speedboats, unmanned surface vessels, and mines, making it highly capable of controlling the strait.

“I think what we would want to see is a really well-coordinated operation, led by the Americans with many nations involved,” Gen Carter said.

He warned that such an operation would require international cooperation. “You can’t do this on your own; it’s going to require everyone’s capabilities to come together… and it’s going to be a really difficult, deliberate operation,” he said.

BBC

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