Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the UK government’s decision to not immediately join the United States and Israel in strikes against Iran, despite direct criticism from former US President Donald Trump. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, accused the UK of waiting to “join wars after we’ve already won” and questioned the need for a British aircraft carrier deployment, a move the Ministry of Defence had begun preparing for.
Cooper, speaking to Sky News, urged a focus on “the substance and not social media posts,” pushing back against suggestions that the UK’s “special relationship” with the US was deteriorating. She characterized the differing approaches as a matter of style, contrasting Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s “calm, cool-headed approach” with other political leaders.
Starmer’s handling of the situation has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum. A recent YouGov poll indicated that only 8 percent of Britons supported direct UK involvement in the conflict. Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, has called on Starmer to condemn the conflict and prevent the US from utilizing British air bases for launching strikes. Conversely, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage have criticized Starmer’s initial refusal to allow the US to utilize those bases for the initial strikes, as well as the delay in deploying a British warship to the region.
HMS Prince of Wales, one of the UK’s two aircraft carriers, is currently being prepared for potential deployment within the next five days, though a final decision remains pending, according to sources briefed on the matter.
Former Labour Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair reportedly criticized Starmer’s decision not to immediately join the US in attacking Iran during a private event Friday. Blair argued that, as an ally and “indispensable cornerstone” of British security, the UK should demonstrate support when requested, noting that the request to use UK bases for refueling was not comparable to the large-scale troop deployment seen during the 2003 Iraq War. Cooper publicly disagreed with Blair’s reported remarks, emphasizing the need to “learn some of the lessons of what went wrong in Iraq.” Blair’s decision to lead the UK into the Iraq War remains a highly controversial and widely criticized aspect of his premiership.
Cooper maintained that involvement in the initial attacks on Iran was not in the UK’s national interest, while asserting the right to protect partner countries in the Gulf, including permitting the use of UK military bases. She stated that Notice those who believe the UK should always align with the US, and others who believe the UK should never take action with the US, but that neither position serves British interests.
In an op-ed published in the Mirror on Saturday, Starmer wrote, “While opposition parties seek to undermine Britain on the world stage, my Labour government is focused on protecting British people at home and abroad.”
Donald Trump’s arrival at Stansted Airport on Wednesday for his second state visit to the UK was marked by an unusually lengthy handshake with Foreign Secretary Cooper, lasting over 11 seconds. Sky News journalists noted the irony, given Cooper’s past criticisms of Trump. Prior to assuming her current role, Cooper had publicly described Trump as “inflammatory, ignorant, and dangerous,” and participated in protests against his previous visit.
