Latest news with #Cobra
Straits Times
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
UK's Lammy to meet European counterparts in Geneva to hold nuclear talks with Iran
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy leaves 10 Downing Street, on the day British Prime Minister Keir Starmer holds an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss Israel-Iran conflict, in London, Britain, June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy UK's Lammy to meet European counterparts in Geneva to hold nuclear talks with Iran LONDON - British foreign minister David Lammy will head to Geneva on Friday for nuclear talks with Iran and European counterparts, racing to press for a diplomatic solution over Tehran's nuclear programme, his office said on Thursday. Israel and Iran have been in a spiralling air war since last week after Israel launched military strikes on Iran, which retaliated with waves of missiles. Lammy's trip to Switzerland follows his visit to Washington, where he on Thursday met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. "We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon... A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution," Lammy said in a statement. "Now is the time to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one." The foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany - known as the E3 - will meet with the European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, at Germany's permanent mission in Geneva before holding a joint meeting with the Iranian foreign minister, a German source previously told Reuters. Rubio discussed with Lammy the conflict between Israel and Iran, the pair agreeing that the Islamic Republic can "never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon," a spokesperson for Rubio said in a statement. Israel has said its goal is to eliminate Tehran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran denies that its nuclear programme is for military purposes. The White House said earlier on Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump will make a decision within the next two weeks whether to get involved on Israel's side. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
British opposition figures warn of dangers of US using UK base in potential Iran attack
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired an emergency Cobra meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss Britain's response if the US enters the conflict between Israel and Iran. Much of the discussion hinged on Diego Garcia, a shadowy UK-US military base deep in the Indian Ocean. The strategic base puts US bomber aircraft within 5,300 kilometres of Iran and could allow them to attack Iran while avoiding Gulf airspace. It means that if the US directly intervenes, Britain will almost certainly find itself heavily involved - even if it does not help protect Israel from Iranian strikes. On Monday, four US B-52 Stratofortress bombers - which can carry precision-guided bombs - were sighted on a Diego Garcia runway, according to the Daily Mail. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters After the Cobra meeting it emerged that the British government will have to sign off on the US use of the base in any bombing raid on Iran. Independent MP Adnan Hussain told MEE: "If the UK permits the US to use its bases for offensive operations against Iran, and especially if those attacks originate from UK sovereign territory, then it could be considered directly involved in the conflict - legally a co-belligerent." Hussain added: "This would expose the UK to retaliation and Iranian counterattacks, in essence it could result in all out involvement." Base within attack range of Iran Deputy Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who is standing to lead the party, told MEE: "Israel's attack on Iran is illegal. "Starmer claims to want de-escalation - yet dragging the UK into their illegal war does the opposite." Diego Garcia is almost certain to play a crucial role in any future American attacks on Iran, given its proximity to the country. UK lobbying US against sanctioning ICC over Israel war crimes probe Read More » Iranian military officials have repeatedly warned Israel's allies that they could be attacked if they help defend Israel. Iran's Shahed-136B kamikaze drones have the range to attack the base, which houses around 4,000 people, mostly members of the American military and contractors. Scottish National Party MP Chris Law told MEE: "The UK government must recognise the seriousness of the situation and understand that any such decision will require the support of parliament. 'Any use of UK military bases for US military action in Iran would be a significant escalation in this conflict, and it is imperative that Parliament be consulted and votes be held before any such decision is taken." If the US asks the Starmer government for permission to use the base for an attack, Starmer would be expected to seek advice from Jonathan Powell, his national security adviser, who was Tony Blair's chief of staff when Britain invaded Iraq in 2003. Hussain said: "The UK should continue with its focus on diplomatic solutions, as this is the only real solution to the issue. "An all-out war, especially with modern methods of warfare and talks of the potentiality of nuclear weapons would be a disaster not just for those involved but the whole world." Polanski added: "A million marched against Iraq, and the chaos and destruction that followed remain Labour's shameful legacy. "They must learn from history."
CNBC
a day ago
- Politics
- CNBC
A 'terrible spiral of escalation': World braces for intensifying Iran-Israel conflict
Urgent international calls for restraint appear to be falling on deaf ears as the world braces for intensifying conflict in the Middle East. All eyes are on the White House, as U.S. President Donald Trump weighs carrying out direct military strikes on Iran. Such an act would represent a dramatic deepening of U.S. involvement in what has thus far been limited to attacks between Iran and U.S. ally Israel. The Kremlin warned Thursday that U.S. intervention in Iran would set off a "terrible spiral of escalation," while Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told Reuters that the world is "millimeters" away from nuclear catastrophe. Russia is currently mired in its own war in Ukraine, which also involves a fight over a major nuclear power plant. In the U.K., Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired an emergency Cobra meeting — the country's national crisis management system — as his government works to withdraw the families of staff at the British embassy in Tel Aviv. The high-level intelligence meeting followed Starmer's presence at the G7 summit in Canada, during which he joined other leaders of the group in reiterating their "commitment to peace and stability." But chances at diplomacy are looking increasingly bleak as Iran and Israel continue to trade increasingly deadly blows and leaders of the countries involved show no sign of stepping back from the brink. Trump remained noncommittal in his comments on whether the U.S. would attack Iran. "I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do. I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate," he told reporters on the White House lawn on Wednesday. He added that "the next week is going to be big." The president said later from the Oval Office that he likes to "make the final decision one second before it's due… because things change. Especially with war." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stirred some controversy, saying in an interview Tuesday that Israel was doing the "dirty work" for other countries by carrying out strikes on Iran's nuclear sites. "I can only say I have the greatest respect for the fact that the Israeli army and the Israeli government had the courage to do this," Merz told a German broadcaster. The foreign ministers of Germany, France, and the U.K. are set to meet with their Iranian counterpart on Friday. Meanwhile, China's Xinhua state media service cited Chinese Premier Xi Jinping saying that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran is "an urgent priority" and that the use of force is not the right way to resolve the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Xi held a phone call Thursday, during which both men strongly condemned Israel, saying the country's actions in Iran "violated the UN Charter and other norms of international law," according to a Kremlin aide. The leaders, both of whom are allies of Iran, said that military action would not resolve the issues Western and Israeli leaders have over Iran's nuclear program and that diplomacy was the only way forward. It comes after Trump posted comments on his Truth Social platform earlier this week, demanding that Iran unconditionally surrender and warning that the U.S. has the capability to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei responded by saying that any American attack on Iran would be met with "irreparable damage" and spark a wider war. Overnight, Israel and Iran traded missile barrages, with Israel striking Iran's Arak and Natanz nuclear facilities, while Iran said it hit a hospital in Israel's Negev region after aiming for a military site. At least 30 people were injured in the strike on the hospital, authorities said, with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz saying after the attack that Iran's leader "can no longer be allowed to exist."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
UK would have to sign off on US use of Diego Garcia base for raid on Iran
The UK government will have to sign off on the US use of its Diego Garcia base in any bombing raid on Iran, it has emerged, as ministers gathered to discuss a range of scenarios amid further increasing tensions in the region. The prime minster, Sir Keir Starmer, chaired an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss the UK's response to the crisis in the Middle East which could escalate further should the US enter the conflict between Israel and Iran. After the prime minister landed back in Britain following the G7 summit in Canada, he brought together ministers and senior officials to update the UK's response beyond urging de-escalation. But with Donald Trump still not revealing what action he may take, the UK government is working on a series of options dependent on whether the US pursues military action, and if it asks allies for support at any stage. One key issue for the UK would be whether to give permission for the US to fly B-2 stealth bombers from the Diego Garcia airbase in the Indian Ocean to attack Iran's nuclear enrichment site, which is between 80 and 90 metres inside a mountain at Fordow. The decision on whether to grant the US permission to use the base, should it request to do so, would be a political one, and Starmer would be expected to seek the advice of his national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, who was Tony Blair's No 10 chief of staff at the time of the Iraq war. Related: Trump edges closer to war: could he drag the UK in? – Politics Weekly UK However, government insiders suggested it would put the prime minister in a difficult situation, balancing his stated preference for a diplomatic solution with his desire to safeguard the US-UK relationship that he regards as of the utmost importance. The US president declined to answer reporters' questions on whether the US was planning to strike Iran or its nuclear facilities. 'Nobody knows what I'm going to do,' he said. He added the Iranians had reached out, but he felt 'it's very late to be talking'. Starmer had said he was confident the US would not join Israel's bombing campaign despite US military deployments to the region and mixed messages from Trump, but Downing Street was unwilling to repeat Starmer's comments on Wednesday. The foreign secretary, David Lammy, has also travelled to Washington for urgent talks with his American counterpart, Marco Rubio. British officials have repeatedly emphasised that the UK is not expected to participate with its own military in any attack on Iran, unless there were some exceptional circumstances. The UK has deployed 14 Typhoon jets at Akrotiri to protect its bases and forces and to help regional allies such as Cyprus and Oman if they come under attack. Britain has not received a formal request from the US to use Diego Garcia in the south Indian Ocean or any of its other airbases to bomb Iran, it is understood, and Trump is thought to want to keep all his options on the table for the moment – including military – to exert maximum pressure on Iran. The president is described as wanting to seek a deal, though there is a recognition that could change. Existing agreements mean the US, or any other country, needs British government permission to use any RAF airbase, including Diego Garcia, which was recently the subject of a new 99-year lease agreement with Mauritius that left the UK in full operational control. In practice, Diego Garcia is mainly used by the US, but the fact that it is ultimately a British base means that Starmer would have to approve its use for an attack on Iran. The US is thought likely to want to request the use of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus for its air tankers, used to refuel B-2 bombers. Similar permission would be required if the US wanted to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, where B-2s are based in Europe, though this is considered a less likely option for an attack on Iran's nuclear sites. Refusal by the UK would not prevent an attack on the deep-lying nuclear enrichment site at Fordow because it is possible for the B-2 bombers to strike from their home base in Whiteman, Missouri, but it would be interpreted as a lack of British support for the attack. Related: The Guardian view on Israel, the US and Iran: you can't bomb your way out of nuclear proliferation | Editorial The deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, standing in for Starmer at prime minister's questions, insisted the UK would continue to back a diplomatic route to resolving the conflict. 'The one thing I will say is we agree with President Trump that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon, but we've been consistent in urging Iran to engage in the diplomatic process and work with the United States, and we continue to support that diplomatic approach,' she told MPs. The Foreign Office advised British citizens in Israel to stay put and close to shelter, despite the families of embassy staff leaving Israel on Tuesday night. Downing Street said the government's priority was to de-escalate the conflict, while Starmer called allies in the region to urge a diplomatic solution. A spokesperson said: 'The prime minister, the foreign secretary, have spoken with partners and counterparts across the region and beyond, including all our allies, to reiterate the need for de-escalation and a return to diplomacy. Our priority is de-escalation and that is what ministers will continue to push.'
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Tragic cancer-stricken girl, 7, who fled wartorn Ukraine for leukaemia treatment in Israel killed in Iran missile blitz
A SEVEN-year-old girl who fled the war in Ukraine to receive life-saving leukaemia treatment in Israel has been tragically killed. Nastia Borik, her grandmother and two young cousins were all reported dead following the Advertisement 6 Nastia Borik was tragically killed after going to Israel to seek life-changing surgery for her leukaemia 6 Members of Israel's Home Front Command search for missing people under the rubble of apartment block Bat Yam Credit: EPA 6 A huge column of smoke rises from Soroka Hospital in Beersheba Her mother Maria Peshkurova, 30, remains missing, the The attack, which is believed to have wounded 180 people and killed at least six, comes amid six nights of Nastia Borik arrived in Israel in 2022 with her mother, grandmother, Lena Peshkurova, 60, and two of her cousins, Konstantin Totvich, 9, and Ilya Peshkurov, 13, to seek life-saving treatment for Leukemia. The girl's father, Artem, reportedly stayed in Ukraine to fight in the war against Russia. Advertisement Read more on World He could not accompany his daughter due to a government order barring men under the age of 60 from leaving the country during the conflict. Her tragic killing comes as tensions between Israel and Iran have reached cataclysmic heights, as a major Israeli hospital and an this morning . Soroka Hospital in Beersheba was severely damaged when it was struck by an Iranian ballistic missile, with The IDF confirmed it attacked an "inactive" plutonium nuclear reactor in Arak to "prevent it from being restored and used for nuclear weapons". Advertisement Most read in The US Sun After days of speculation, Trump on Tuesday night approved plans to attack Iran, but is holding off in case Tehran agrees to abandon its nuclear programme, reports the If given the go-ahead, the plans would see the US join Israel in pounding Iran's nuke sites - which Tehran has warned would spark "all out war". Chilling vid shows Israeli school bus blown to bits by Iranian missile in madcap Ayatollah's death-throw retaliation The UK is yet to declare whether it would stand with the US should Trump decide to go ahead with military action. But Sir Keir Starmer has been warned by Attorney General Lord Hermer that the UK's involvement could be illegal. Advertisement It comes as Sir Keir held a Cobra crisis meeting on Wednesday with a potential US-led strike reportedly being discussed. Trump has become much more vocal on the conflict, though refuses to confirm his plans: "I may do it, I may not do it," he said on Wednesday. If the US does collaborate in the attacks, Iran's Fordow nuclear development area could be its first target. A fearsome 15-ton mega bomb known as a Advertisement Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office Trump acknowledged the US is the only nation capable of blitzing the key nuke site. But he added: "That doesn't mean I'm going to do it - at all." Trump also fired a two-word warning to Iran's Supreme Leader after revealing Tehran was trying to return to the negotiating table. When a Advertisement Trump even directly threatened Khamenei as he said the US knows where he is hiding but will not kill him 'for now'. Khamenei responded by saying: "The battle begins. This nation will never surrender. 'America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage.' US officials indicated the next 24 to 48 hours will be crucial in determining whether diplomacy could ever be achieved with Iran, Advertisement It comes as warmongering 6 The war has entered its sixth day Credit: Alamy 6 Emergency and Rescue soldiers search for trapped people following Iran's overnight strikes Credit: Getty 6 The two countries have launched fierce attacks on one another in the last few days causing heavy civilian casualty Credit: AFP Advertisement
