Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has rejected Tony Blair’s assertion that the UK should have supported Donald Trump’s initial airstrikes on Iran, saying Britain had to “learn the lessons” of mistakes made in Iraq.
At a private lunch event on Friday, the former Labour prime minister said Keir Starmer “should have backed America from the very beginning” and let the Trump administration use British airbases. Blair’s intervention comes as Trump intensifies his criticism of Starmer over the lack of immediate UK support for the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Asked about Blair’s comments, Cooper told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky News: “I just disagree.” She added: “There are some people in politics who think that we should always agree with the US whatever. There are other people in politics who think we should never take action with the US again whatever the circumstances. I don’t think either of those positions is in the UK national interest.”
Cooper said the UK had to “take decisions ourselves” and act in its national interest. Her comments came as the Iranian ambassador in London warned the UK to be “very careful” about becoming further involved in the war. Britain has given permission for the US to use British bases for “defensive strikes” on Iranian facilities, but has not taken part in any direct attacks.
