𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

A former defence secretary has warned Sir Keir Starmer is angering all sides in the escalating Middle East conflict and must now make the UK’s stance clear. The Prime Minister has been accused of appearing “weak” and faced criticism from Donald Trump after refusing to allow US forces to launch initial strikes from UK bases over the weekend.

Sir Ben Wallace said there is no “obvious path” for the Government to take but that Sir Keir must now act. He added continued Iranian retaliatory attacks across the region are putting the UK and its Gulf allies in a “very uncomfortable and dangerous position”. The former Conservative minister said Labour’s current position of hoping “someone else will take the tough decisions” isn’t enough.

Writing in The Telegraph, he said: “We have suffered an attack on British sovereign territory and done nothing in response. We have angered the Americans.

“We can be sure that our supine stance has not made the Iranians or anyone else into our friends, or earned us any respect. Our only win so far would seem likely to be some worthless brownie points among those who consider that international law is the only true authority.”

He added: “We didn’t start this, but the UK must make some effort to finish it rather than just wringing our hands. We have little choice.”

*** Ensure our latest politics headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings. ***

Sir Ben called on the PM to “decide what is in the UK’s interest and what we are going to do about it”.

He added: “He needs a plan and he needs to communicate it. He needs to lead. He needs to set out a narrative that can reassure us.

“Above all else, Sir Keir finally needs to invest in our own defences, the one action that can really make a difference and give us some options.”

Mr Trump said he was “very disappointed” that the UK had not initially allowed US forces to use its bases to launch strikes against Iran.

He said Sir Keir had not “not been helpful”, calling the rift between Washington and London “very sad”.

Sir Keir has now given the US permission to strike Iranian missile sites from British bases.

In an apparent criticism of the US President’s bombing campaign, the PM said the Government “does not believe in regime change from the skies”.

US-Israeli strikes on Saturday killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other senior figures, with Mr Trump urging the Iranian public to rise up and overthrow the regime.

However, Sir Ben warned that despite the deaths, there is “no real sign” of significant opposition that could challenge it.

He said Tehran now has “nothing to lose” and warned the fighting, now in its fourth day, will last longer than many expect.

Writing in the Telegraph, Sir Ben said the UK is facing two options; either “pull up the drawbridge and hope it all goes away” or “lean into” the US-Israeli plan and attempt to help change the regime in Tehran.

While questioning the pressure this could put on the UK’s “overstretched and underfunded” Armed Forces, he said: “We could only add a tiny increment to US firepower, but that might be worth doing purely as a gesture of goodwill to the Americans.

“We want them to stand by our side when we are compelled to battle evil regimes; it is not unreasonable for them to expect the same from us.”

Downing Street has sought to downplay tensions between Washington and London, insisting the UK and US remain “staunch” allies.

A Royal Navy destroyer is being sent to the Mediterranean after an RAF base in Cyprus was struck by a drone, believed to have been fired by Hezbollah in Lebanon.