KEIR Starmer has signalled he would support the US if it were to attack Iran.
Speaking to reporters during his trip to China, the Prime Minister said it was “hugely important” that Iran did not build nuclear weapons and said the Islamic Republic’s brutal crackdown on protesters was “grotesque”.
Donald Trump has said that a “massive Armada” was being ranged in the Gulf as he warned the Iranian regime that “time is running out” to negotiate a deal on its nuclear programme.
Asked in a BBC interview if he would support a US strike on Iran, Starmer said: “The goal or the aim here is that Iran shouldn’t be able to develop nuclear weapons and that is hugely important and, of course, we need to deal with the fact they are repressing protesters, killing protesters, it is grotesque what is happening so that is where our focus is and we are working with allies to that end.”
READ MORE: US Government responds to claim it 'unlawfully abducted two people from Scotland'
Pressed on whether that meant his answer was “perhaps yes”, Starmer said: “I am saying we support the goal and we are talking to allies about how we get to that goal.”
He did not refer to de-escalation, which he has previously invoked when asked about potential American military action in the region.
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said the country’s armed forces were ready “with their fingers on the trigger” to “immediately and powerfully respond” to aggression from the US.
Anti-regime protests in Iran were met with a brutal response from the authorities beginning at the end of December.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said that 6301 people were killed during the unrest, including 5925 protesters.
READ MORE: Scottish Government responds to claim US 'abducted two people from Scotland'
Trump had previously threatened to attack Iran if the country killed protesters however his attention has since returned to the country’s nuclear programme.
Writing on Truth Social, the US president said: “Hopefully Iran will quickly 'Come to the Table' and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS.”
The US bombed Iran last year during the country’s short war with Israel.
Share