[ad_1]
Sir Keir Starmer is treading a characteristically cautious diplomatic path in his response to the attacks on Iran by the US and Israel.
He’s under pressure from those on the left of British politics to condemn US President Donald Trump‘s actions as “illegal” and unjustified – while those on the right want to see him offer his open support.
Military intervention in the Middle East is clearly a sensitive issue for a Labour party haunted by the Iraq war.
While British planes are now in the sky to defend UK interests in the region, Starmer made it explicitly clear that such defensive activity is “in line with international law” – and that the UK wasn’t involved in the American/Israeli attacks.
Follow live: Iran’s supreme leader ‘killed in US attacks’ – Trump
Indeed, the PM is thought to have previously blocked the US from using UK bases – reportedly over concerns about breaching international law – despite Mr Trump making it very clear that he wanted to do so.
In his televised statement, the prime minister was vehement in his condemnation of the “utterly abhorrent” Iranian regime, which has “murdered thousands of [its] own people, brutally crushed dissent and sought to destabilize the region”, as well as posing “a direct threat” in the UK.
While he didn’t express any direct backing for Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran, he made it plain that he agreed with the rationale.
Keir Starmer concluded by urging the Iranians to “give up their weapons programmes and cease the appalling violence and repression”, although he stopped short of echoing the President’s desire for regime change.
The overall impression was of a UK government applauding the ends, but not necessarily the means.
Not for the first time, the prime minister is balancing on a diplomatic tightrope in…
[ad_2]
