Sir Keir Starmer has criticised Donald Trump’s threats to wipe out “a whole civilisation” in the Iran conflict, distancing himself from the US president’s rhetoric. The British prime minister told ITV’s Robert Peston: “They are not words I would use, ever use, because I come at this with our British values and principles.”
Speaking ahead of King Charles’s state visit to the US later this month, Starmer emphasised that the UK would be guided by its own principles. The comments come amid tensions over the fragile Iran ceasefire, with Trump having previously attacked Starmer for not joining the US and Israel in the war against Iran, likening him to Neville Chamberlain.
Starmer also called on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping and demanded that Israel stop bombing Lebanon, warning that such actions risked undermining the ceasefire. He stated: “That shouldn’t be happening. That should stop. That’s my strong view.”
The prime minister admitted that the UK and other allies had not been given full details of the ceasefire deal between Iran and the US, after Trump withheld them. Speaking during a two-day trip to the Gulf, Starmer said allies were relieved the ceasefire was in place but recognised it was fragile.
