Iranian Diaspora in UK Warns Starmer Against War Escalation with Tehran
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian dual national who returned to the UK in 2022 after enduring six years of imprisonment in Iran, is among more than 100 signatories to a significant letter addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The letter, signed by Iranians residing in the United Kingdom, urgently cautions against further British involvement in the conflict with Iran, asserting that such actions would paradoxically fortify the Tehran regime rather than undermine it.
A Counterpoint to Pro-War Voices
This collective appeal serves as a direct counterbalance to segments of the Iranian diaspora who endorse Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's former pro-western monarch, and who advocate for military strikes as a precursor to regime change. While Pahlavi has proposed leading a democratic transition, former US President Donald Trump has indicated a preference for an internal candidate to guide the Middle Eastern nation. The signatories, including three former political prisoners, emphatically state in their correspondence: "Nobody can claim to want the end of the Islamic republic more than we do. But attacking the country in this way will have the opposite effect. It will entrench the authoritarians and give life to the fiction that has sustained them internally for decades: that they are fighting western imperialism."
They further critique the assassination of Iran's 86-year-old supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, along with numerous family members, during Israeli airstrikes on the war's inaugural day. Khamenei has since been succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei. The letter argues: "When Netanyahu – a man charged with international war crimes after killing countless civilians in Gaza – assassinates Iran’s dictator, that kills the man but immortalises the myth. Iranians wanted him tried and punished for his crimes, not given the martyr-ending he craved."
Proposing Peaceful Alternatives
Instead of military escalation, the group outlines a series of peaceful and pragmatic measures to bolster internal opposition within Iran. These recommendations include providing Starlink technology to terminate the persistent communications blackout enveloping the country and safeguarding political prisoners, whom they describe as the future democratic leaders of Iran. The letter articulates: "A pro-democracy policy would protect political prisoners and ensure that Israel and the US do not bomb prisons like Evin. It is in those cells where the future democratic leaders of Iran reside. A pro-democracy policy would smuggle internet devices – not weapons – across the border, and break the blackout that is blanketing the country."
Other notable signatories encompass Aras Amiri, a former British Council worker incarcerated for three years in Tehran's Evin prison, and Nasrin Parvaz, who suffered eight years in Iranian jails commencing in 1982. The cohort also features prominent artists, academics, and writers from the Iranian community. They express profound sorrow, noting: "For decades we have been hoping for the day when Iranian democracy can finally flourish. Many of us have not been able to visit Iran for years for fear of imprisonment or worse."
Criticism of Israeli and US Policies
The letter additionally rebukes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for what they perceive as racist undertones in his policies, particularly his exhortation for Iranians to rise up. They dismiss the implication that "90 million people had been idly waiting several decades for his bombs." Moreover, they highlight the United States' role in the conflict, referencing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's statement that preemptive strikes were deemed necessary to avert higher American casualties. The signatories conclude: "This is of course not just Netanyahu’s war, Trump and the US are a significant part of it... So the US followed Netanyahu into this war."
Prime Minister Starmer has previously adjusted his stance on cooperating with US attacks against Iran, justifying it as essential to prevent assaults on Gulf states. However, this letter from the Iranian diaspora implores a reevaluation, advocating for solidarity through non-violent means rather than military engagement.
