Britain views pre-emptive strike on Iran nuclear facilities as illegal The Foreign Office declined to comment on suggestions that British ministers have been advised that a strike on Iran would breach international law because no imminent threat currently exists. If the US were to attack Iran's nuclear plants, it could request permission to use the RAF base at Akrotiri in Cyprus and the American military facilities located on the British territory of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. However, The Guardian reports that the Britain would reject any such request under present conditions. A Foreign Office spokesman declined to comment on "hypothetical scenarios" or confidential legal advice given to ministers. The US would not necessarily need these bases for a strike on Iran. Washington could rely instead on aircraft carriers and its established military facilities in the Gulf region. The Foreign Office spokesman added that Britain believes there is "still an opportunity for a negotiated solution" to the confrontation over Iran's nuclear ambitions. Three rounds of talks between Iran and the world's six leading powers made no progress on this issue earlier this year. But a possible window of opportunity might open after the US election on November 6. Tighter sanctions are having a severe effect on the Iranian economy, with a European Union oil embargo costing the country billions of dollars in lost sales. The value of the national currency, the Rial, has slumped relative to the US dollar. Britain believes that the twin-track approach of sanctions plus diplomacy could yet produce results. "We don't think that military action against Iran is the right option at the moment, but we're not taking anything off the table," added the spokesman.