UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed the US military action against Iranian nuclear facilities, declaring Iran’s nuclear programme a “grave threat to international security” while calling for Tehran to return to negotiations, the Guardian reported.
His statement followed President Donald Trump’s confirmation of overnight strikes targeting Fordo, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear sites, which escalated the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
Starmer emphasised that the UK played no role in the operation, with no US request for assistance or use of the Diego Garcia base located in the Indian Ocean. He convened an emergency COBRA meeting in London on Sunday after discussions with Middle Eastern leaders, stressing that “escalation of the conflict is in no-one’s interests.”
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds reinforced this position, acknowledging that while diplomatic efforts had been rejected by Iran, preventing nuclear proliferation remained a UK priority.
I cannot pretend to you that the prevention of Iran having a nuclear weapon is anything other than [in] the interests of this country.
Reynolds highlighted proactive measures to protect British nationals in the region, stating evacuations would occur “in hours not days.” He also underscored Iran’s direct threat to the UK, citing weekly cyberattacks and confirming the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s activities were “not hypothetical.”
Regional reactions and retaliation risks
Iran’s ambassador to the UK, Seyed Ali Mousavi, warned that Tehran was “considering the quantity and quality” of its retaliation, dismissing MI5’s assessment of over 20 Iranian-linked UK plots as “misinformation.” Concurrently, Iran launched ballistic missiles targeting Tel Aviv and Haifa, causing significant damage and injuries.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy had urgently pursued de-escalation, meeting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and European allies in Geneva days earlier. Those talks collapsed hours before the US strikes, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later accusing Washington of deliberately “blowing up” diplomacy.
While Starmer’s support for the strikes’ objective drew criticism from Labour’s foreign affairs committee chair Emily Thornberry, it garnered unexpected Conservative backing. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch praised the “decisive action against a regime that fuels global terror,” while Reform UK’s Nigel Farage declared:
Reform UK stands behind the military actions of the USA overnight. Iran must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons, the future of Israel depends on it.
Notably, Downing Street distanced itself from Trump’s demand for Iran’s unconditional surrender, focusing instead on de-escalation. Amid heightened regional volatility, Starmer’s stance reflects a precarious equilibrium: endorsing the strategic goal of denying Iran nuclear weapons while attempting to contain a conflict that risks spiralling beyond control.
