Starmer vows to ‘resist pressure’ over Iran policy amid criticism of UK response
Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to “resist” pressure on the UK’s response to the conflict with Iran as he defended Britain’s “level-headed” military response.
In a press conference on Thursday, Starmer suggested President Trump had left the Middle East “plunged into chaos” with his attack on the Iranian regime over the weekend.
He said the UK would focus military capabilities on the defence of allies, with the Prime Minister announcing that additional Typhoon jets would be sent to Qatar.
HMS dragon, a warship, and wildcat helicopters are also set to be deployed to Cyprus within days after re-supplying in Portsmouth.
“I want to reassure the British public about the action that we are taking while the region has been plunged into chaos,” Starmer said.
“My focus is providing calm, level-headed leadership in the national interest.
“That means deploying our military and diplomatic strength to protect our people, and it means having the strength to stand firm by our values and our principles, no matter the pressure to do otherwise.”
Starmer hasn’t spoken to Trump for days
The UK declined to participate in US and Israel’s attacks against Iran on Saturday, infuriating President Trump.
The last time Starmer spoke to Trump was on Saturday, with the US president saying he was “disappointed” with the UK’s response to the war.
Starmer has held that a “negotiated settlement” with Iran should be prioritised over the prolonging of war.
He added: “The special relationship is in operation right now.
“We’re working with the Americans in the deployment from our bases. We are working together in the region. The US and the British working together to protect both the US and the British in joint bases where we’re jointly located and we’re sharing intelligence on a 24/7 basis in the usual way.”
Starmer pushes back on criticism
Gulf countries including Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as Cyprus, where there is a UK military base, have also reportedly voiced their frustration with the pace of the UK’s response to the crisis, according to various reports.
The Spectator reported that Starmer was pressed by energy secretary Ed Miliband and a host of other Cabinet ministers to avoid getting involved in the war in a key security meeting on Friday.
Starmer appeared to reject suggestions that he was called on to back the US before Saturday: “Let me be really clear about this. No request from the US came in the specific terms that we acceded until Saturday afternoon. And therefore on Friday there was no concrete decision to be made.”
On Sunday, the UK allowed the US to use its military bases for what legal advice notes is “specific and limited defensive purposes”.
‘Whose side are you on?’
The Spectator quoted a former minister as saying ‘The Emiratis, Kuwaitis, and even the Canadians are all asking, “What the fuck are you doing? Whose side are you on?”’
The Prime Minister also said he was unsure about the length of the war before adding that the country had the “right plan” to protect energy supplies.
Earlier on Thursday, Miliband told MPs in the House of Commons that the government could not ignore the “biggest long-term threat” to energy security and stability as he referred to climate change.
His remarks appeared to defy demands for red tape and taxes to be cut to allow for greater North Sea oil exploration.
“The lesson of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the lesson of recent days is that the only route to greater energy independence for Britain is our mission and we will double down on [net zero], because every solar panel we install, every wind turbine we put up, every nuclear power station we build makes us more secure as a country and protects families and businesses from these kind of energy shocks,” Miliband said.