The leader of the Green Party, Zack Polanski, has called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to condemn the recent strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel, describing the attacks as “illegal and unprovoked”. Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Polanski said it is “astounding” that Starmer appears “incapable” of standing up to US President Donald Trump.
The strikes, which began on Saturday morning in Tehran, targeted Iranian military sites and reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an attack on his compound. Preliminary figures indicate 201 people have been killed and 747 injured, including 153 fatalities from a strike on a school. Trump announced the death of Khamenei on social media without providing evidence, though state media later confirmed it.
Polanski expressed concern that the UK could be dragged into another illegal war, drawing parallels with the 2003 Iraq War. “We’ve seen what I would say is an illegal and unprovoked attack,” he said. “We’ve got a Defence Secretary saying that diplomacy is the long runway we need but won’t condemn Donald Trump when he attacks a country and assassinates its leader.”
The UK Defence Secretary, John Healey, repeatedly refused to comment on the legality of the strikes, stating that it was for the US to explain its legal basis. Polanski criticised this stance, arguing that the UK had not taken diplomacy seriously. “The moment you’ve ruled out negotiation, you’ve accepted that you’re going to war,” he said. “I don’t think the British people want to see another war in that region.”
Polanski also noted that Israel is the only nuclear-armed state in the region, calling for a renewed focus on diplomatic solutions rather than military action.
