Starmer: Trump must negotiate with Iran

Sir Keir Starmer has told Donald Trump to negotiate with Iran, despite the regime firing missiles at allies across the Middle East.

The Prime Minister called on the US to reach a settlement with Tehran, saying it was his “strong view” that the two countries need to “de-escalate” the crisis through talks.

The comments threaten to strain the special relationship further, after Sir Keir’s initial decision to block the use of Diego Garcia, the military base in the Chagos Islands, for strikes on Iran.

On Thursday, the US president refused to deny reports, first revealed by The Telegraph, that he had described Sir Keir as a “loser”, and repeated that he was “not Winston Churchill”.

The Prime Minister remains under growing pressure over his handling of the Iran crisis and faces accusations that he has not done enough to support allies and British bases in the region.

Iranian drones hit RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus on Sunday, but Sir Keir took 72 hours to decide to deploy the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon. The ship is undergoing welding work and is not expected to reach the island for a fortnight, well after warships sent by France and Spain.

Iran continued attacks on Thursday, hitting an airport in Azerbaijan with a drone, injuring four civilians.

Meanwhile, Israeli and US warplanes continued to bomb dozens of Iranian cities, while the Israel Defense Forces struck command centres of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed terror group, in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

Attempting to fend off mounting criticism at a press conference in Downing Street, Sir Keir announced that Britain would send four additional Typhoon jets to Qatar to bolster the country’s defences.

But discussing the ongoing US strikes, the Prime Minister said: “The long-standing British position is that the best way forward for the region and the world is a negotiated settlement with Iran where they give up their nuclear ambitions.

“That’s why I took the decision that the UK would not join the initial strikes on Iran by the US and Israel. That decision was deliberate, it was in the national interest, and I stand by it.”

Mr Trump has previously ruled out negotiations with the Iranian regime, saying it was “too late”.

Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, said Sir Keir’s comments showed he lacked a “backbone”.

She told The Telegraph: “This goes to show the kind of man we have as Prime Minister. Keir Starmer thinks ‘being nice’ is a military strategy and if Trump can just talk to Iran kindly, all the problems will go away.

“Iran is currently shooting at our soldiers, at our military bases, and at our allies. They have conducted dozens of attacks in the UK and are illegally developing nuclear weapons. Starmer needs to stop being a lawyer and start being a leader.

“If he had a backbone, he would be working with our allies, not giving them a lecture.”

Tensions over the conflict spilt onto the streets of Manchester on Wednesday night, when demonstrators mourning the death of Ali Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, burnt images of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and clashed with counter-protesters.

A major pro-Iranian march is also due to be held in London this month, sparking fears of public disorder.

Organisers say they expect thousands of people to attend the annual Al Quds march and rally, which has been linked to the Iranian regime, on March 15.

However, tensions have been raised by opponents of the march, including the groups Stop The Hate and Lion Guard of Iran, which on Thursday called for a “counter demonstration on a scale never seen before.”

The tensions have fuelled fresh demands for Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, to apply to the Home Secretary for a ban on the march because of the risk of disorder.

Lord Walney, the former government adviser on political violence and disruption, said: “There is clearly a strong risk that there will be serious disorder and serious disruption to the community if the Al Quds march is allowed to go ahead.

“Those are the criteria under which the Met Police have a responsibility to recommend that the march is banned. I hope that they are properly across the fresh evidence to make a judgment.”

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: “After the scenes we saw in Manchester and planned counter-protests, it’s clear the Al Quds march could end in serious disorder. This counter demonstration will be on a scale never seen before. We need action now to prevent violent clashes on our streets.

“We cannot allow the streets of London to become a place for the Iranian regime to spread their propaganda, or to descend into chaos and violence.”

‘This march should not go ahead’

Suella Braverman, the Reform MP and a former home secretary, added: “If we are to have any semblance of public order, this march should not go ahead. It is not just like any other protest but part of a decades-long international campaign established by Ruhollah Khomeini to advance the ideological aims of the Iranian regime.”

On Thursday afternoon, the first rescue flight for British citizens in the Middle East took off from Iran, a day late after technical problems hampered the operation.

John Healey, the Defence Secretary, landed in Cyprus for talks after Kyriacos Kouros, the country’s high commissioner, said his people had been “disappointed” by Britain’s response.

Mr Trump also said he was disappointed in Sir Keir, telling the New York Post: “He should be giving us, without question or hesitation, things like bases where we can use others. We should [be able to] certainly count on them. I was very surprised at Keir. Very disappointed.”

Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have also reportedly accused the Prime Minister of failing to do enough to defend them from Iran’s drone and missile attacks.

[Source: Daily Telegraph]