Starmer leads a Cobra meeting after the US and Israel bomb Iran.
The prime minister holds an emergency committee meeting to talk about what the UK should do about the latest bloodshed in the Middle East.
As the UK determines how to respond to the US-Israeli bombing of Iran and Tehran’s reprisal against bases in the Gulf, Keir Starmer is in charge of the Cobra emergency committee.
The UK didn’t take part in the first wave of strikes on Saturday morning, but it had sent RAF Typhoons to Qatar to safeguard the al-Udeid airfield and other military bases in the area that were friendly to the UK.
After reports of Iranian missile launches, British citizens living in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates were told to stay where they were. The Foreign Office said that no one should go to Israel or Palestine.
The prime minister, along with Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz of France and Germany, declared, “We did not take part in these strikes.” However, all three leaders indicated they were in touch with the US, Israel, and other regional allies.
Most of what the three presidents said was about Iran. “We strongly oppose Iran’s aggression on countries in the area. Iran should not carry out random military strikes. We ask the leaders of Iran to find a way to work things out through talks. They said, “In the end, the Iranian people should be able to decide their own future.”
It is known that the US Air Force did not use British airbases during the attack; earlier this month, Starmer turned down a request from Donald Trump to use RAF stations in Diego Garcia and Fairford.
The RAF Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus got six more F-35s and more air defence, radar, and counterdrone systems. These might be sent to protect Israel, Jordan, or other Middle Eastern countries.
Iran quickly struck back at US outposts in the Gulf, with allegations of attacks on bases in Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, and Israel. There aren’t many British troops at the bases. No one has died, according to reports.
The US and Israel seem to be working together on a broad effort to replace the government in Iran and bomb its nuclear and missile sites. But in its first statement, Britain just said that it didn’t want Tehran to acquire a nuclear weapon.
A representative for the government said, “Iran must never be allowed to make a nuclear weapon, which is why we have always supported efforts to reach a negotiated solution.” Our top priority right now is the protection of UK citizens in the area, and we will help them through our consulate, which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“We have a number of defensive capabilities in the region that we have recently strengthened as part of our long-standing commitments to the safety of our allies in the Middle East.” We are ready to preserve our interests.
“We don’t want to see this turn into a bigger regional conflict.”
Emily Thornberry, who is in charge of the foreign affairs select committee, warned that the UK should not get involved in a war in the Middle East.
The Labour MP told BBC Radio 4’s Today show that she didn’t think the US-Israeli strikes were legitimate. She added, “As far as I know, we’re not involved in this.” “I don’t think it’s right for Britain to get engaged in this, and I don’t think they should. I don’t think there is a legal reason for this action.
Thornberry said that the US and Israel “were not under imminent threat,” therefore “it’s hard to see what the legal justification is.”
When asked if the UK should stay out of the war, Thornberry said, “Absolutely, unless we are attacked ourselves, which, as I said this morning, we don’t know if we will be because there may be attacks by the Iranians on western bases in the Arab Gulf, and then the situation may change.” We really don’t know.
Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the opposition, said she backed the US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
The leader of the Conservative Party said on X, “I stand with our allies in the US and Israel as they fight the threat of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its horrible government.” The same government that targets the UK and its people, wants to create nuclear weapons that would endanger our country, and violently put down pro-democracy riots just a few months ago, killing thousands of its own people.
“The Conservative party will always put our national security first and work with our allies to make the world a safer place under my leadership.”