(AP) — British ministers have agreed to allow the U.S. military to use the U.K.’s bases in operations to prevent Iran attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, No. 10 Downing Street said ministers met Friday afternoon and “confirmed that the agreement for the U.S. to use U.K. bases in the collective self-defence of the region includes U.S. defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The statement follows President Donald Trump’s labelling of NATO partners as “cowards” for not directly joining operations to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer allowed the U.S. to use U.K. bases in the region for defensive operations a few days after the start of the war on Feb. 28, when Iran started launching missiles and drones around the Middle East, notably those on the other side of the Persian Gulf.

Under that agreement, U.S. armed forces could use the bases to target Iran’s missiles and missile facilities.