UK not selectively applying international law, Labour minister insists
Ian Murray, speaking to media in East Lothian on Monday, repeatedly refused to say whether the US air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, which took place over the weekend, breached international law.
The top Labour MP insisted that the Government did not issue judgments on 'the legality of another country's actions'.
Pushed on why the UK Government had done exactly that without reservation after Russia invaded Ukraine, Murray said it was because the law breaches in that case had been 'clear'.
READ MORE: John Swinney 'concerned' about UK involvement in Middle East conflict
Asked initially if the US strikes on Iran were legal under international law, Murray said: 'Well, it's up to the US to determine the legality, because they're the ones that took the action and therefore they determine the legality of that.'
Asked if it was right to say that the US determines the legality of their own actions under international law, he said: 'They determine the legality of the legal advice that they have in terms of what they did in Iran, and that's the right thing for them to do.
'It's not for us to determine the legality of another country's actions.'
Reports have said that Attorney General Richard Hermer, the UK Government's top legal adviser and a friend of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has warned that direct UK involvement in the war between Israel and Iran may be illegal.
Asked if such reports were correct, Murray said: 'We don't talk about legal advice that we're given, particularly in these circumstances, but we don't also comment on another country's legal advice.
'If the US have taken action, they've had to determine their own legal advice.'
Attorney General Richard Hermer is Ian Murray's colleague in the UK CabinetAsked then why the UK and Labour – who were then in opposition – had shown no such restraint when describing Russia's invasion of Ukraine as illegal, Murray said: 'Well, it was quite clear that their actions were illegal, wasn't it? Because they invaded another country.
'The US action in Iran is there for all to see, and the basis and the reasoning they've done it for – but it's not up for us to determine their legal advice, and we don't comment on our own legal advice, in terms of whether it be this issue or any other.'
Asked if that amounted to 'different strokes for different folks', Murray said: 'No, it's the way in which governments operate.'
Also speaking on Monday, Foreign Secretary David Lammy also refused to say if the US attacks on Iran were illegal or not under international law.
However, he added: 'I don't say it's not legitimate.'
READ MORE: Scottish Secretary ditches 'lifelong' opposition to nuclear weapons
Chancellor Rachel Reeves was asked about the legality of the strikes as she visited the West Midlands, and said: 'It is up to the US to make that case. We were not involved in these actions and, of course, we would never comment on the legal advice that the Government receives.'
Overnight, US president Donald Trump called the future of the Iranian regime into question, posting on his TruthSocial platform: 'It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???'
It appeared to be a different approach to that of his defence secretary Pete Hegseth, who had said on Sunday that 'this mission was not and has not been about regime change'.
Iran is reportedly considering shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, through which some 20% of the world's oil is shipped, in response to the US attacks on its territory.
The UK Government has urged Iran to return to the negotiating table, at which it was due to sit before Israel launched unilateral attacks on June 13.
Iran has said it will not enter talks while Israel is bombing its territory.
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