Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has rejected Tony Blair's assertion that the UK should have supported Donald Trump's initial airstrikes on Iran, insisting Britain must 'learn the lessons' of the Iraq war. Speaking on Sky News, Cooper said she 'just disagreed' with the former prime minister's comments.
At a private event on Friday, Blair argued that Keir Starmer should have backed the US from the start and allowed the use of British airbases, stating alliances are tested 'when it's hard'. His intervention came as Trump intensified criticism of Starmer for not immediately supporting US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Cooper emphasised that the UK must act in its national interest, neither always agreeing with the US nor refusing to cooperate. She said Starmer was right to learn from mistakes made in Iraq, adding that the government must take decisions independently.
The Iranian ambassador to the UK, Seyed Ali Mousavi, warned Britain to be 'very careful' about further involvement, asserting Iran's right to self-defence if the UK directly joins attacks. Britain has permitted US use of bases for defensive strikes but has not participated in direct attacks.
