IRAN HAS told the UK that allowing the USA to use British military bases overseas will be regarded as giving support to the US/Israeli attack on Iran.

The news was delivered over the phone this morning, when Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, rang UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. Araghchi went on to say that any such support would lead to an “escalation” in the current conflict – a clear threat that Iran would regard the UK as a target.

This will come as a disappointment to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as he tries to appease states in the Middle East and US President Trump. Starmer refused to support the US/Israeli attack, which was welcomed widely across the Labour Party. However, as Trump threw a tantrum about lack of UK support, Starmer buckled and, like a harassed parent giving its toddler a lollipop, invented a theory of supporting the war defensively.

Starmer’s theory seems to be that US/Israeli actions have provoked Iran to respond by bombing third party countries in the Middle East, and the UK will help out by assisting those other countries to defend themselves against Iranian attack. This is hardly even-handed. If Starmer wanted to show compassion, he could urge the USA to stop bombing Iran: that would save even more lives.

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