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Following heightened criticism from Donald Trump regarding the UK Prime Minister’s handling of the Iran conflict, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed her support for Sir Keir Starmer’s stance in defending Britain’s interests. Trump’s remarks on social media downplayed the UK’s potential deployment of aircraft carriers to the Middle East, commenting dismissively: “We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”
The Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has been placed on advanced readiness, though Cooper did not confirm whether it would be dispatched to the region. Addressing Trump’s criticism, she acknowledged that while the UK may not align with the US president on every matter, it remains the UK government’s responsibility to determine what is in the nation’s best interest. Cooper emphasized this view during an interview on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, stating, “It’s for the US president to decide what he thinks is in the US national interest, and that’s for him to do. But it is our job as the UK government to decide what’s in the UK national interest, and that doesn’t mean simply agreeing with other countries or outsourcing our foreign policy to other countries.”
The UK did not participate in the initial US-Israel strikes on Iran but later authorized the US to use British bases for defensive operations. Additionally, the UK has deployed RAF jets to the region aimed at intercepting missiles and drones launched by Iran targeting UK allies. Reflecting on historical context, former Labour Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair, who led the UK into the Iraq War in 2003, said at a private event that the UK should have supported the strikes from the outset. He described the US as an “indispensable cornerstone” of the UK’s security and urged that allies should maintain support regardless of the current president.
Cooper, who served as a junior minister during Blair’s government amid the Iraq invasion, stressed the importance of learning from past mistakes. She noted that all decisions must prioritize the welfare of British citizens. She also highlighted the varied political opinions on UK-US relations: some advocate unconditional agreement with the US, others oppose such alignment entirely, but she maintained that neither extreme is correct. Meanwhile, the Iranian ambassador in London, Seyed Ali Mousavi, cautioned the UK against deepening involvement in the conflict, warning that any UK properties or bases used against Iran would be considered legitimate targets.
On the domestic political front, Robert Jenrick of Reform UK criticized the government for not supporting the use of UK bases by the US earlier, while stopping short of endorsing offensive operations. He accused the Prime Minister of damaging UK-US relations through indecision. Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp echoed criticism, charging the government with “a dereliction of duty” for failing to position warships closer to the Gulf in anticipation of conflict, noting that vessels remained docked in Portsmouth despite foreknowledge of US military plans weeks before.
Recent security incidents include a minor drone strike on the runway at RAF Akrotiri, which the Ministry of Defence confirmed caused only minimal damage. The Liberal Democrats have urged the government to avoid deeper entanglement in what they describe as an illegal and damaging war. As for naval deployments, HMS Dragon, equipped with air defense capabilities, is departing from Portsmouth to support operations near the RAF base in Cyprus but is not expected to sail until next week. Addressing concerns over the speed of the UK’s response, Cooper pointed out that fighter jets and additional personnel had already been pre-deployed to the region and that further reinforcements, including Typhoon jets and Wildcat helicopters, had been dispatched since the escalation began
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