LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday publicly appealed to Donald Trump to back away from military action against Iran, emphasizing the “real risk of escalation” in the Middle East. Starmer, who has carefully avoided disagreements with the U.S. president since his return to the White House in January, asserted that negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program — a current target of Israeli bombing — are “the way to resolve this issue.”
“We are very concerned about Iran’s nuclear program and fully recognize Israel’s right to self-defense, but the principle is that we need to de-escalate this,” Starmer stated. He warned that further escalation could impact the region and beyond, akin to the situation in Gaza, and is already affecting the global economy.
Starmer’s comments follow reports that UK Attorney General Richard Hermer raised legal concerns about potential British involvement in the conflict, possibly involving the joint UK-U.S. airbase on Diego Garcia. While declining to comment on the legal advice, Starmer reiterated his government’s “driving intent” for de-escalation, stressing that Iran’s nuclear program is “better dealt with as a negotiated outcome.”
The Prime Minister’s spokesperson affirmed that de-escalation is the government’s “priority,” with Foreign Secretary David Lammy set to discuss the crisis with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. Meanwhile, reports from the BBC indicate that numerous U.S. military jets, typically not seen outside the U.S., landed at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, England, Wednesday night, though details remain unconfirmed due to “operational security.”
