Keir Starmer hits back at Donald Trump in row over Iran strikes
The PM told the Commons on Monday that “it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest” and that he “does not believe in regime change from the skies.”
Sir Keir Starmer hit back at Donald Trump after the US President said he was “very disappointed” in the Prime Minister for not allowing UK bases to be used by the US in the initial strikes against Iran.
The Prime Minister told MPs “it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest” and that he “does not believe in regime change from the skies.”
Sir Keir granted permission on Sunday for the US to use British bases to target Iran’s missile launchers and stores to help protect countries targeted by Tehran.
But Mr Trump said it “took far too long” for the Prime Minister to change his mind after he initially refusing to allow the use of the UK-US Diego Garcia base to target Iran.
The war spiralled on Monday as Israel and the United States pounded Iran in a campaign Mr Trump said was likely to take several weeks.
Tehran and its allies hit back against Israel, neighbouring Gulf states, and targets critical to the world’s production of oil and natural gas.
The intensity of the attacks, the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the lack of any apparent exit plan set the stage for a prolonged conflict with far-reaching consequences.
Safe havens in the Middle East such as Dubai have seen incoming fire; hundreds of thousands of airline passengers are stranded around the globe; oil prices shot up; and US allies pledged to help stop Iranian missiles and drones.
With no sign of the conflict abating anytime soon, Mr Trump said operations are likely to last four to five weeks but that he was prepared “to go far longer than that”.
He said US forces were determined to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities, wipe out its naval capacity, stop the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon and ensure that Iran cannot continue to support allied groups like Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which fired missiles at Israel, drawing retaliatory airstrikes.
“This was our last, best chance to strike, what we’re doing right now, and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime,” Mr Trump said.
In a House of Commons statement on Monday, Sir Keir said: “President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest.”
He added later on: “This Government does not believe in regime change from the skies.”
“The lessons of history have taught us that it is important when we make decisions like this, that we establish there is a lawful basis for what the United Kingdom is doing. That is one of the lessons from Iraq.”
He continued: “I am not prepared to commit our military service people to action unless I am sure that what they are doing is lawful and has a viable basis.
“We can discuss what the law is on another occasion, but the law is what it is, and they deserve to know that their Prime Minister cares and pays attention to whether what I am asking them to do is lawful, and I will always do that.”
The US had sought the use of the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire for strikes against Iran.
Mr Trump criticised the refusal to grant permission to use Diego Garcia for the initial wave of airstrikes against Iran’s military and leadership.
“That’s probably never happened between our countries before,” he told The Telegraph, adding: “It sounds like he was worried about the legality.”
Referring to Sir Keir’s change of position, he added: “It is useful. It took far too much time. Far too much time.”
In his statement to MPs, Sir Keir said “that decision was deliberate” and “I stand by it”.
But Iran’s retaliation to the US and Israeli attacks had threatened British people across the Middle East, prompting the decision to allow the bases to be used to hit Tehran’s missile infrastructure.
“It is clear that Iran’s outrageous response has become a threat to our people, our interests, and our allies and it cannot be ignored,” he said.
Westminster insiders said attempting to strike Iran’s ballistic missiles once they were in flight was like trying to knock an “arrow” out of the sky, but the US had been given permission to use British bases to go after the “archer” – the launch sites and storage silos.
Iran has hit targets across the Middle East, including in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Around 300,000 Britons are believed to be in countries targeted by Iran, with 102,000 registering their presence with the Foreign Office as officials worked on contingency plans including a possible mass evacuation.
Sir Keir said the government is “looking at all options to support our people”.
Hours after Sir Keir’s announcement on Sunday about allowing the US use of bases, a drone hit RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
Sir Keir said the drone was launched before his announcement and was not in retaliation to it.
Defence Secretary John Healey said there were no casualties and the damage to the base was minimal.
The families of service personnel have been moved away from the base as a precaution.
On Monday, a spokesperson for the Cypriot government said two further unmanned drones heading towards the base had been intercepted.
Mr Healey said the drone, which hit Akrotiri, was an example of the “dangerous and indiscriminate attacks” by Iran and its proxies.
First Minister John Swinney said Sir Keir allowing the US to use UK military bases “creates further risks and dangers.”
He said: “I am deeply concerned at the escalation of the conflict in the aftermath of the United States and Israel’s strikes on Iran.
“At what is a profoundly dangerous and uncertain moment for the region and the wider world, it is essential that all nations abide by the international rules-based system. The events of the last few days do not suggest to me that the United States and Israel have done this.
“This initial action gives rise to an inevitable escalation of the conflict, and the decision of the UK Prime Minister to allow UK military bases to be used by the United States in this operation creates further risks and dangers. It is a matter of real concern that the UK has now been drawn into this conflict and the Prime Minister needs to set out clearly how the risks we now face can be reduced.
“It is unclear what the exit strategy is for this military action or that there has been appropriate planning to ensure stability in the region.
“The dangerous consequences of these strikes are already being felt by civilians, including many Scottish nationals, and underline the need to bring this conflict to a peaceful resolution. While that crucial work takes place, we will continue to engage with the UK Government on the support that can be provided to those in the region.”
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