Time for hesitation is over
Sir Keir Starmer has not covered himself in glory with his response to the conflict between Israel and Iran. The first instinct of the Prime Minister and his colleagues, confronted with Jerusalem's attempts to bar Tehran's progress towards a nuclear weapon, was to call for 'de-escalation' and an effective return to the status quo.
This was morally and strategically wrong. The Iranian state, which desires nothing more than to see Israel destroyed, and which is a major sponsor of terrorism, is a foe that must be defeated for the security of the region, of Israel and of the wider West. The right of Israel to defend itself by striking against a programme which would give that country the capacity for unimaginable destruction is beyond rational dispute.
For his part, Sir Keir has reiterated that his 'constant message is to de-escalate, and therefore everything we're doing, all discussions we're having, are to do with de-escalation'.
Yet at every point in this current conflict, Israel's refusal to back down has been proved correct. A series of strikes has inflicted catastrophic damage to Iran's military leadership, diminished its ability to launch missiles and battered its nuclear programme. Had Jerusalem heeded Sir Keir's warnings, it would be less safe.
If the Prime Minister wishes to preach the virtues of de-escalation, he should surely be doing so to the leaders of Iran, who have responded to Israel's targeted strikes of military assets with a seemingly indiscriminate bombardment of civilian areas, and whose reckless pursuit of weapons of mass destruction has utterly destabilised the Middle East.
Sir Keir's track record on foreign policy is poor. In his short time in office he has displayed a lamentable tendency to hesitation and an unwillingness to express straightforward backing of Britain's interests or those of its allies, which has left our country at significant disadvantage. But even he is surely unable to hold in his mind a belief that Iran would not commit atrocities if ever given the chance, or that it is not in our interest and to some degree our power to diminish its ability to do so.
Rather than hemming and hawing, it is surely time Sir Keir gave his full support to Israel in its conflict and offered our assistance where it is needed.
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Telegraph
20 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Israel is attacking Iran where the regime fears most
A towering inferno blazed where Tehran's main oil reservoir once stood, turning the skies over the city black. Ordure cascaded through the streets from a mysterious rupture in the sewage mains. Cars exploded in rapid succession as onlookers screamed in fright. Many residents fled; others lined up outside petrol stations, desperately trying to source dwindling fuel supplies as they prepared to join the exodus. As Israel's war on Iran raged into a third day on Sunday, rumour and chaos subsumed the capital. Whatever Israel's military objectives, its operation had clearly taken on a broader dimension, targeting not just the economic foundations of the state, but the psyche of its people. For years, Israel has sensed that Iran's restive population was turning on its Islamist masters. Now it is sowing the seeds of mayhem in the hope of pushing them over the edge. Regime change, by Benjamin Netanyahu's own admission, is one of Israel's desired outcomes. It 'could certainly be the result because Iran is very weak,' he told Fox News. Quite what the Israelis were behind – and what they were not – no-one knew for sure. Perhaps the sewage mains had burst of their own accord; maybe some unknown group was exploiting the fraying sense of order to blow up cars. Yet given this is a country whose spies remotely detonated thousands of Hezbollah's pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon last year, anything was possible. Only one thing can definitively be pinned on Israel: a series of attacks on Iran's oil and gas facilities. The likely motive was not hard to discern. After they shivered in the dark through one of the harshest winters in recent memory, exasperated Iranians have increasingly vented their anger at the regime in recent months. It seemed a scandal that a country with a sixth of the world's gas and ten per cent of its oil could be mired in such a cataclysmic power crisis that even major roads were plunged into darkness for lack of electricity. As government offices shut down and school pupils twiddled their thumbs at home, angry Iranians took to the streets in more than 150 towns and cities to denounce the corruption and mismanagement behind the crisis – protests that continued into this month. Little wonder, then, that over the past 24 hours, Israel struck not just Iran's nuclear facilities and missile bases, but also its electricity and gas plants. On Sunday, fires raged in the South Pars gas field and a nearby oil refinery in the southern province of Bushehr. A dozen storage tanks at Tehran's main fuel depot exploded one after another, setting the surrounding hills ablaze. There are plenty of reasons why Iran's energy infrastructure is under attack. Israel hopes to deny Iran the fuel it needs to support military operations. It quite possibly also hopes to goad Iran into retaliating against Saudi or Emirati energy assets – thereby potentially drawing the United States, with its bunker-busting bombs, into the war. But perhaps most crucially, Israel appears to have concluded that if it is to fight alone, its best chance of dismantling Iran's nuclear programme lies not in bombing deeply buried enrichment facilities, but in destabilising the regime that built them. Toppling the regime from within may, some officials believe, just be Israel's best bet for survival. If so, Iran's rotting domestic energy sector is arguably its most vulnerable point. The country is seething. Power rationing has shuttered factories, left workers unpaid, prevented bakers from making bread, students from sitting exams and farmers from irrigating their crops. Many blame the mullahs – and the elite Revolutionary Guards who not only protect them but also control much of Iran's power generation and distribution. Fury over reports that electricity has been diverted to power-draining Bitcoin mining operations linked to the Guards has fuelled a popular chant in Iran's cities: 'Crypto for the Guards; Blackouts for the People!' Mr Netanyahu clearly believes that Iran's people can be persuaded to topple the regime themselves. Israeli strikes on their country, he told them on Friday, would 'clear the path for you to achieve your freedom.' Such a move, he told Fox News, would clearly be a justified outcome of Israel's offensive: 'We can't let the world's most dangerous regime have the world's most dangerous weapons.' Rallying around the flag Yet not everyone is convinced the strategy will work. In fact, it could misfire, potentially helping to re-galvanise support for an unpopular regime, warns Sanam Vakil, the Middle East director at Chatham House, an international affairs think-tank in London. 'Iranians tend to be quite nationalistic and as civilian casualties mount and life becomes harder, they are more likely to rally around the flag,' she said. 'The unintended consequence could be the re-legitimisation of the Islamic Republic – a devastating outcome for Iranians and the broader region, let alone Netanyahu.' Whatever they think of the regime, few Iranians will relish seeing destruction on their homeland, says Farzan Sabet, a Middle East security researcher at the Geneva Graduate Institute, who hails from the Iranian city of Shiraz. 'In my own city, the electronics industry that contributed to the military's radar systems has been destroyed,' he said. 'It was a military target, but also a centre of technology and an important source of employment. A lot of people who were not especially pro government are quite upset at seeing it destroyed. 'If Israel continues to expand such operations, you're going to see many people who don't like the government offer it begrudging support. They might not like the government, but they don't like what's happening to the country either.' Before the operation began, there was little doubt just how unpopular Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his fellow mullahs were among a large segment of the population. Middle class liberals have always loathed them. Before the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran had one of the most westernised populations in the Middle East: unveiled women wore trousers, danced in nightclubs, drank cocktails and canoodled with unmarried men. Such sophisticates were at the forefront of the first significant anti-government protests in 2009, led by the so-called Green Movement. Later, waves of unrest drew in a more diverse range of Iranians – particularly women – frustrated by the regime's strict Islamic codes, corruption and the economic toll of sanctions and isolation. Yet while these protests alarmed the regime, they ultimately changed little. The ayatollahs successfully crushed the most serious uprising, triggered in late 2022 after a young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, died in police custody for allegedly showing her hair. In part, the regime has survived by relying on a fanatically loyal core of supporters. 'The regime's popularity has steadily declined over time,' Mr Sabet says. 'But its support, at least among its core base, for now remains relatively solid – and this is the core group that the system has relied on to survive.' But this is not the only reason why Israel may struggle to initiate regime change. As the Israeli bombs began to fall, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son and heir to the shah toppled in 1979, urged Iranians to overthrow the regime, blaming it for 'dragging Iran into war.' Yet although many Iranians feel nostalgic for their 2,500-year monarchy, Mr Pahlavi leads what many analysts consider the weakest of five often bitterly divided opposition movements – a fragmentation the mullahs have successfully exploited. Until there is a more unified opposition, calls for a popular uprising, particularly from abroad, are unlikely to have a significant impact, argues Meir Javedanfar, Iran lecturer at Israel's Reichman University. History, particularly in the Middle East, suggests they rarely do. 'Everybody in Israel wants regime change and I think 80 per cent of people in Iran want better leaders,' he said. 'But I'm not sure regime change can be instigated from abroad. It has to come from within. It needs local leadership – and I just don't see the opposition in Iran organising around a single leader or party.'
Sky News
22 minutes ago
- Sky News
Iran's response to Israeli strikes a 'matter of principle', ambassador to UK says
Why you can trust Sky News Iran's response to Israeli attacks on its nuclear facilities is "self-defence" and a "matter of principle", the Iranian ambassador to the UK has told Sky News. Speaking to The World With Yalda Hakim, Seyed Ali Mousavi said the "barbaric Israeli regime" is "violating international law" - describing Israel's actions in recent days as "an act of aggression against the Iranian people". The conflict between Israel and Iran - once played out in a series of proxy wars - has escalated in the past three days. 1:42 On Friday morning, explosions hit Tehran as Israel carried out a major attack on its top army leaders, nuclear sites, and nuclear scientists. Iran threatened "severe punishment" and quickly retaliated with a wave of missiles. 0:18 0:31 When questioned about whether Iran could continue fighting Israel, the Iranian ambassador told Yalda Hakim that "it is a matter of principle". He said: "This is about self-defence, there is no doubt about it. "We are a responsible member state of the UN and we do all activities according to our international obligations. "Any activities are only in the framework of self-defence." He added that his country would "do our best to preserve our territorial integrity", and that "with the help of God", Iran will "materialise endeavours concretely against our enemy - the Israeli regime". Mr Mousavi also told Hakim that Iran's nuclear activities are "monitored", and that recent comments by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were "politically motivated". 0:58 The UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors found Iran was not complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years. Iran said it has "always adhered" to the safeguarding obligations laid down by the watchdog. 15:10 Announcing Operation Rising Lion on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Iran had recently taken steps to weaponise enriched uranium, which could be used to make nuclear weapons. But Mr Mousavi stressed that Iran's "peaceful activities" at its "nuclear fields" were only for the "generation of electricity, and other peaceful" things. Iran was due to continue its round of negotiations with the US in Muscat - however, this was cancelled, given recent tensions.
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Shocking moment Gaza aid activists are dragged away by masked men as Egypt deports volunteers attempting to cross border
Gaza aid activists were violently dragged and carried onto buses by balaclava-clad Egyptian authorities. Footage shows authorities forcibly removing protesters from a sit-down demonstration at the Cairo border. Large numbers of protesters were rounded-up onto buses and will be deported. One protester, who spoke with an American accent, exclaimed: 'There's people in masks dragging people out.' While others can be heard chanting: 'Free Palestine '. Thousands of people have been arriving in the Egyptian capital since Thursday, with the intention of marching to the Rafah crossing in Gaza. It is part of the Global March to Gaza - a protest against Israel 's aid blockade on Gaza. Israel imposed a full 11-week humanitarian blockade on Gaza on March 2, cutting off food, medical supplies and other aid amid its ongoing conflict with the enclave. Around 4,000 volunteers landed in Cairo, then taking buses to the city of Arish in the north of the country's Sinai Peninsula. From there, they hoped to start their planned march, on a roughly 30-mile route, to the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing on the Gaza border. But organisers said that several dozen activists were stopped on the edge of Cairo as they attempted to reach the Suez Canal city of Ismailia, which is around a three-hour drive from Arish. A protester posted a video to social media while on a bus heading there, saying: 'This is an emergency. 'We have just been violently dragged into the buses here at the first checkpoint on the way to Ismailia. 'We were sitting quietly and not doing anything. We were debating that we would leave soon, in taxis back to Cairo because we did not break any law. 'And all of a sudden, several people stormed in and they started to push people and drag them violently outside. 'They have beaten people. I have seen one woman that was beaten in her face in front of me. They didn't leave time to grab the luggage or anything. 'So, this is one of the Secret Service people that was just walking in here. I have to stop this livestream now - we are in danger. This is an emergency. We need to help.' Most of the activists were ordered onto buses back to the capital after several hours of questioning - but some remain in custody. 'We were blocked for six to seven hours before security forces violently dispersed our group,' one organiser said. At least one activist was expelled from Egypt, several sources said, adding to dozens more denied entry or expelled in the run-up to the march. Egyptian authorities have not commented on the reported expulsions. The foreign ministry had warned that while Egypt backs efforts to put 'pressure on Israel' to lift its Gaza blockade, any foreign delegations intending to visit the border area must obtain prior permission. Uzma Usmani, the sponsorship and logistics lead for the UK delegation of the march, explained to CNN: 'This is just another tool, another way [for] the people to raise their voices, to let governments know that we are not happy. 'We need to take things into our own hands, to raise awareness, to put pressure on all the different governments so that they start taking action.' But in a statement on Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said allowing the activists through the border would 'endanger the security of IDF soldiers'. He added he expected Egypt 'to prevent the arrival of jihadist demonstrators to the border of Egypt-Israel and not to allow them to carry out provocations and to try to enter into Gaza'. Egypt is in an awkward position in the Israel-Palestine conflict, as a key mediator between Hamas and Israel, also trying to prevent conflict spilling into its own territory. It is also attempting to balance its ties with Israel and the United States with its own public condemnation of the war's brutal civilian impact on Gaza. The Global March to Gaza action comes just days after Israel intercepted Madleen, an aid ship bound for Gaza carrying activist Greta Thunberg on board. Thunberg, 22, was among 12 activists on board the ship, which hoped to 'break [Israel's] siege on the Gaza Strip' with a delivery of humanitarian aid. Israel 'forcibly intercepted' the British-flagged vessel at 3.02am local time on June 9, some 100 miles from the coast of Gaza, the FFC said in a statement. After diverting the boat to the port of Ashdod, Israel's foreign ministry posted a picture of the activists all in orange life jackets being offered water and sandwiches. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the crew were safe and unharmed, and would be taken to the Israeli Port of Ashdod where they would be shown a video of Hamas's October 7 atrocities. Of the 12 people on board the Madleen carrying food and supplies for Gaza, eight were taken into custody after they refused to leave Israel voluntarily. Four others, including Thunberg, were deported.
