UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has defended Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision not to support the initial US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran, emphasizing that Britain must learn from past mistakes such as the Iraq War. This comes amid criticism from former Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President Donald Trump.
Key Takeaways
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper defended Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision not to support initial US-Israeli strikes on Iran, emphasizing learning from past mistakes like Iraq. Former PM Tony Blair criticized Starmer for not backing the US, while Donald Trump dismissed UK involvement as unnecessary.
- Yvette Cooper rejects Tony Blair’s call for UK to back Trump’s Iran strikes
- Cooper emphasizes learning lessons from Iraq War in decision-making
- Trump criticizes Starmer on social media, saying UK help is not needed
- UK allows US use of British bases for defensive strikes but does not join direct attacks
At a private event on Friday, Blair suggested that Starmer should have backed the Trump administration's strikes from the beginning, arguing that allies should support each other regardless of who is in power. Cooper, speaking to Sky News' Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, disagreed, stating that Britain must act in its own national interest and learn from the errors made during the Iraq War.
Cooper told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “It is our job as the UK government to decide what’s in the UK national interest, and that doesn’t mean simply agreeing with other countries or outsourcing our foreign policy to other countries.” She also dismissed suggestions that Starmer was being overly cautious, saying he was acting responsibly by considering British citizens' interests.
Meanwhile, Trump has intensified his criticism of Starmer on social media, stating that the UK’s potential involvement in the conflict is unnecessary. “We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!” Trump posted. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that one aircraft carrier had been placed on advanced readiness but did not confirm whether it would be deployed to the Middle East.
The Iranian ambassador in London, Seyed Ali Mousavi, warned the UK to be “very careful” about further involvement in the conflict, stating that Iran would have a “right to self-defence” if Britain directly joined US-Israeli attacks. The UK has allowed the US to use British bases for defensive strikes but has not participated in direct attacks itself.
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