Latest news with #LordHermer
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
As Trump threatens to join the Israel-Iran conflict, what are Keir Starmer's options?
The choice Keir Starmer makes in the next 48 hours could define his premiership. Tony Blair never escaped the accusation he had been George Bush 's 'poodle' over the invasion of Iraq. And how far the current Labour PM goes in backing another US president in another foreign conflict could help or haunt him for years to come. Sir Keir has urged Donald Trump to step back from the brink of a direct strike on Iran, warning against any action that would 'ramp up the situation'. The PM's official spokesman said ' de-escalation is the priority ' after the US president threatened to wade into the conflict. But, if that did happen, how could the UK respond? One option – albeit the most diplomatically tricky – is to withhold support entirely. Sir Keir has spent months trying to build a special relationship with President Trump. Anything less than support for their actions is likely to go down badly with the current White House regime. However, the Attorney General Lord Hermer, a close political ally of Sir Keir, is reported to have raised legal concerns about any potential British involvement in the conflict beyond defending its allies. Lord Hermer is reportedly reluctant to sign off any offensive operations, with a source telling The Spectator: 'The AG has concerns about the UK playing any role in this except for defending our allies.' The weight the Labour leader places on his old friend's legal judgement could limit the extent of any support for the US, if Mr Trump does decide to act militarily. The PM's own background will also play a role in the decision. The energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh said on Thursday that he 'who is a lawyer and a human rights lawyer, he will obviously do everything that is in accord with international law.' But will he really risk infuriating President Trump at a time when the Republican's tariffs on goods entering the US have already led economists to downgrade their forecasts for the UK economy? Another option, considered the most likely, is to allow the use of the UK-US airbase at Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands. The type of B-2 stealth bombers which are often based there are the ones that are capable of carrying specialised 'bunker buster' bombs, which could be used against Iran 's underground nuclear facility at Fordo. This is a middle ground seen as the most likely option for the UK government to back. It would not require action from the UK, but could protect the relationship with the US by seeming to offer support. He is already under pressure over the issue at home. Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel has said the UK should give permission for the US to use Diego Garcia to launch bunker-buster bombs. One step beyond the Diego Garcia option is to provide logistical support to the US, and what that would look like in practice is being wargamed in Whitehall. The benefit of this option is that it would allow the UK to appear to be more supportive of Present Trump than just simply allowing him to use a US airbase, and at the same time risking only a limited response from Iran. The UK is keen not to allow Tehran a pretext to strike British bases or interests and has sent extra assets to the region, with another six Typhoon jets sent to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, joining the eight already there. The final option, considered the least likely, is full UK military intervention. Britain is still pushing hard behind the scenes for a de-escalation in the Middle East. The UK's most favoured outcome is a diplomatic solution, in which both sides dial down the aggression. Keir Starmer is also, as a politician, a gradualist and as such is considered less likely than some of his predecessors as prime minister to commit the UK military to support this kind of intervention, even if it is in the aid of one of our key allies, the United States.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Bad luck, Lord Hermer. We are inextricably involved in any US strike on Iran
The US might be about to assist Israel in the striking of Iran's underground uranium enrichment plants. The media is awash with attempts to predict what will happen, but given the number of moving parts, and the person in charge, this is not proving easy. However American colleagues of mine are sure it's a matter of 'when' America will strike, not 'if '. Meanwhile it is not at all clear what the UK Government's stance is. The Attorney General, Lord Hermer, is warning that the UK joining the war on Iran may be illegal. My view is that he is a little late to the party here. We've had ships, aircraft and troops in the region since before 2003 – all facing Iran and contributing to operations against it and its proxies. We have conducted intelligence gathering throughout and shared that with allies. More recently, we have conducted strikes against Iranian proxies and have refuelled aircraft in direct support of Israel's defensive operations against them. Right now we are housing American B-2 bombers – the likely centrepiece of any US strike – on British territory, Diego Garcia (highlighting with impeccable timing the strategic incontinence of the pending loss of sovereignty there). What is Lord Hermer suggesting – we should withdraw our support? That would be unbelievably short-sighted. Or is he, like many, failing to distinguish between a handful of precision strikes from 40,000 feet and a third Gulf War? There is a long and nuanced spectrum between 'do nothing' and 'war'. Binary interjections such as Hermer's don't reflect this reality and simply add uncertainty to a government which already seems pretty uncertain. When the No.10 comms machine gags UK generals and admirals at a RUSI land warfare conference, but allows foreign officers to be quoted – as happened yesterday – you know you are dealing with a system that's deeply uncomfortable with political-military leadership. This is probably why the ships of Operation Highmast, including HMS Prince of Wales, have gone straight past Iran and are much of the way to the Pacific. I'd like to think that it was a high level decision between us and the US about where our different carriers could best be used and that the decision was that she should fill the hole left by the USS Nimitz as she steams towards the Gulf of Oman. In fact, this would be entirely reasonable. But I fear that the Government simply failed to make a decision. I hope I'm wrong but when you see senior officers gagged you have to suspect that they and the Government disagree. Meanwhile out in the big world, the US now has nearly everything in place to make a move. Everyone has been surprised by the speed with which the IDF suppressed Iranian air defences: there has never been a better time to defang Iran and remove their ability to produce a nuclear weapon once and for all. There is some doubt that even the US with its powerful Massive Ordnance Penetrators can actually do the job, however. Iran's nuclear facilities, Fordow in particular, are buried deep inside the mountains. Then there is the fact that Iran is not entirely toothless. This is why we are seeing aircraft leave the air base in Al Udeid and ships departing from Bahrain. Sensible precautions: and in the case of the aircraft, this permits them to operate from countries who would permit strikes from their territory. Does Israel have a backup plan if the MOP isn't used or doesn't work? Storming a fortress bunker of this size and at this sort of range – one whose defences have had decades to prepare – is the sort of mission that makes me glad I joined the Navy. The IDF and the Israeli secret services have pulled off some astonishing special operations in their time but this might be too hard even for them. Meanwhile the USS Nimitz is closing and could be just three days from her probable battle station in the Gulf of Oman. I don't want to overplay her role in all this but another 75 jets, Hawkeye radar/command planes, a ballistic intercept umbrella – under the flight path from Iran to Diego Garcia, too – and hundreds of cruise missiles will come in handy. It's unlikely the US will make a move until Nimitz is on hand. The question of regime change is also much discussed. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, made some remarks in Strasbourg yesterday. She said this is a vital juncture in 'the struggle of the people of Iran and the Iranian Resistance against the ruling religious fascism'. 'The only viable solution remains the overthrow of this regime by the people of Iran and the Iranian Resistance … this regime that has executed 1,350 prisoners in the last year alone [must] be replaced by a democracy'. With the myths of strength and competence of the current regime now lying in tatters, now may be the time. Meanwhile the only people saying much in Britain are the lawyers. We wring our hands, silence our senior military and seemingly hope for the best. The Attorney General 'has concerns about the UK playing any role in this except for defending our allies'. It's very hard to see how stopping Iran from having a nuclear weapon is anything other than that – and indeed self-defence on our own part. This is not the same as opening another war in the Middle East, in fact it's the opposite. It's preventative self-defence against a barbaric regime and we should back our allies to achieve it. What we now need is strong and clear leadership, with associated open and confident communications, that reflects this.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Dramatic moment Iran's only working nuke reactor is BLOWN UP in Israel blitz – as Trump aims crosshairs at ‘Mount Doom'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the dramatic moment Israel blows up one of Iran's nuclear reactors with a surgical missile strike. Another plant, the infamous "Mount Doom" at Fordow, remains untouched, but could soon face the US's mighty bunker busting bombs if Trump says the word. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 9 9 This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Arak heavy water reactor in Iran on Feb. 15, 2025. (Maxar Technologies via AP) Credit: AP Footage shows the heavy water reactor - known as Arak but renamed Khondab - lying in night-vision cross hairs during the sixth night of heavy missile exchange. A missile darts in from above and strikes right at the heart of the sprawling plant. Smoke and flames erupt from the impact site and envelop the whole facility in a huge cloud. The site was "inactive" as it was yet to be completed, but the IDF insisted it had to be taken out because it was designed to cultivate plutonium for use in nuclear weapons. read more on israel-iran SCATTERGUN BLITZ Chilling vid shows Israeli school bus blown to bits by Iranian missile The military said: "The strike targeted the component intended for plutonium production, in order to prevent the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapons development." High-yield plutonium is a material that can be used to fashion nuclear weapons. Iranian media reported that air defences were activated in the area and that projectiles landed in the vicinity. Officials told state TV that the site was evacuated and there was no casualties or risk of radiation. Alongside Arak, Israel has confirmed strikes on the reactors at Natanz and Isfahan. An IDF spokesperson later said that fighter jets had also struck the Bushehr nuclear power plant - which is the only working one in the country. Trump 'has APPROVED Iran attack plans & is ready to give orders' as Israel 'strikes reactor' & Tehran hits hospital But in a U-turn, the IDF then retracted the claim, with a spokesperson saying: "It was a mistake," and that he could not confirm nor deny that the facility had been targeted. The head of Russia's nuclear energy corporation warned that an Israeli attack on Bushehr could lead to a "Chornobyl-style catastrophe". Iran has reported Israel to the the UN's nuclear watchdog over the strikes against its nuclear sites. The regime accused Israel of "continuing its aggression and actions contrary to international laws that prohibit attacks on nuclear facilities". After days of speculation, Trump approved plans to attack Iran but is holding off in case Tehran agrees to abandon its nuclear programme, reports the Wall Street Journal. 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". The UK is yet to declare whether it would stand with the US if it committed, as Attorney General Lord Hermer questions the legality of Israel's action, according to Sky, and Starmer held a Cobra meeting. 9 Israel will need to launch a daring commando mission to destroy Iran's heavily fortified underground nuclear base 9 Trump still refuses to confirm his plans in public, however: "I may do it, I may not do it," he said on Wednesday. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minster, Kazem Gharibabadi, hit back: 'If the US wants to actively intervene in support of Israel, Iran will have no other option but to use its tools to teach aggressors a lesson and defend itself." Iran's Fordow nuclear development plant is likely to be the prime target of any imminent US airstrikes. Israel doesn't have the weapons to strike the core of the mountain fortress site, but the US has a fearsome 15-ton mega bomb, known as a Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb, which could bust it open. Trump acknowledged the US is the only nation capable of blitzing the key nuke site, but added: "That doesn't mean I'm going to do it - at all." 9 Iran's state broadcasting building is a mangled wreck after heavy Israeli bombing Credit: Getty 9 Israel and Iran have been trading missiles for a week 9 Smokes raises from a building of the Soroka hospital, Israel, after an Iranian strike The giant plant, 125 miles south of capital Tehran is encased in steel more than 300 feet beneath solid rock and has so far escaped serious damage. Defence Analyst Paul Beaver told The Sun: 'Israel will need literally to move a mountain to hit the plant. 'It's protected by at least 90 metres of solid rock and has so far escaped serious damage. 'Options are to repeatedly bomb it for weeks until a breakthrough is achieved or a fultline is hit or launch an extremely risky ground offensive. 'But the Israeli military never ceases to amaze - and they may even have troops on the ground waiting to attack Fordow already.'
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Dramatic moment Iran's only working nuke reactor is BLOWN UP in Israel blitz – as Trump aims crosshairs at ‘Mount Doom'
THIS is the dramatic moment Israel blows up one of Iran's nuclear reactors with a surgical missile strike. Another plant, the infamous 9 9 9 This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Arak heavy water reactor in Iran on Feb. 15, 2025. (Maxar Technologies via AP) Credit: AP Footage shows the heavy water reactor - known as Arak but renamed Khondab - lying in night-vision cross hairs during the sixth A missile darts in from above and strikes right at the heart of the sprawling plant. Smoke and flames erupt from the impact site and envelop the whole facility in a huge cloud. The site was "inactive" as it was yet to be completed, but the IDF insisted it had to be taken out because it was designed to cultivate plutonium for use in read more on israel-iran The military said: "The strike targeted the component intended for plutonium production, in order to prevent the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapons development." High-yield plutonium is a material that can be used to fashion nuclear weapons. Iranian media reported that air defences were activated in the area and that projectiles landed in the vicinity. Officials told state TV that the site was evacuated and there was no casualties or risk of radiation. Most read in The US Sun Alongside Arak, Israel has confirmed strikes on the reactors at Natanz and Isfahan. An IDF spokesperson later said that fighter jets had also struck the Bushehr nuclear power plant - which is the only working one in the country. Trump 'has APPROVED Iran attack plans & is ready to give orders' as Israel 'strikes reactor' & Tehran hits hospital But in a U-turn, the IDF then retracted the claim, with a spokesperson saying: "It was a mistake," and that he could not confirm nor deny that the facility had been targeted. The head of Russia's nuclear energy corporation warned that an Israeli attack on Bushehr could lead to a "Chornobyl-style catastrophe". Iran has reported Israel to the the UN's nuclear watchdog over the strikes against its nuclear sites. The regime accused Israel of "continuing its aggression and actions contrary to international laws that prohibit attacks on nuclear facilities". After 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". The UK is yet to declare whether it would stand with the US if it committed, as Attorney General Lord Hermer questions the legality of Israel's action, according to Sky , and Starmer held a Cobra meeting. 9 Israel will need to launch a daring commando mission to destroy Iran's heavily fortified underground nuclear base 9 Trump still refuses to confirm his plans in public, however: "I may do it, I may not do it," he said on Wednesday. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minster, Kazem Gharibabadi, hit back: 'If the US wants to actively intervene in support of Israel, Iran will have no other option but to use its tools to teach aggressors a lesson and defend itself." Iran's Fordow nuclear development plant is likely to be the prime target of any imminent US airstrikes. Israel doesn't have the weapons to strike the core of Trump acknowledged the US is the only nation capable of blitzing the key nuke site, but added: "That doesn't mean I'm going to do it - at all." 9 Iran's state broadcasting building is a mangled wreck after heavy Israeli bombing Credit: Getty 9 Israel and Iran have been trading missiles for a week 9 Smokes raises from a building of the Soroka hospital, Israel, after an Iranian strike The giant plant, 125 miles south of capital Tehran is encased in steel more than 300 feet beneath solid rock and has so far escaped serious damage. Defence Analyst Paul Beaver told The Sun: ' 'It's protected by at least 90 metres of solid rock and has so far escaped serious damage. 'Options are to repeatedly bomb it for weeks until a breakthrough is achieved or a fultline is hit or launch an extremely risky ground offensive. 'But the Israeli military never ceases to amaze - and they may even have troops on the ground waiting to attack Fordow already.' 9
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Tories warn Starmer not to 'hide' behind legal advice amid claims Attorney General has been 'restraining' UK from backing Israel
Tories warned Keir Starmer not to 'hide' behind legal advice today amid claims Attorney General Lord Hermer has been 'restraining' the UK from backing Israel. Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel urged the PM to take the right decision for 'national security' as the Middle East crisis threatens to escalate. Donald Trump is keeping the world guessing about whether he will join Israeli attacks on Tehran's nuclear facilities. Sir Keir has been urging 'de-escalation' and so far UK forces are not thought to have played a direct part in defending Israel from retaliation. However, the premier might be forced to choose amid speculation that B-2 stealth bombers would use the Chagos Islands airbase if they are brought in to target an enrichment plant deep under a mountain. Keir Starmer could have to give the green light for US bombers to use the Diego Garcia military base for strikes on Iran There are concerns that would leave UK assets and personnel facing reprisals, with RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus a potential target. More jets have been moved into the region to bolster security. With the situation on a knife edge, David Lammy will hold talks with the US secretary of state Marco Rubio in Washington later. Lord Hermer, a human rights barrister, is said to have been making the case that the UK should not play a role apart from 'defending our allies'. Despite the UK previously coming to the aid of its ally, Lord Hermer is said to have warned against intervention in the latest conflict, which began on Friday with Israel bombing its long-time enemy. In October, the RAF helped shoot down Iranian missiles fired at Israel in a previous attack. But there has been no British military involvement so far this time. One Whitehall official told The Spectator magazine Lord Hermer, a human rights barrister and stickler for international law, was 'acting as a restraining force'. They said: 'The Attorney General has concerns about the UK playing any role in this except for defending our allies.' There is a long-standing convention that the government does not comment on the legal advice it seeks or receives. The Mail has not been able to corroborate the claims. Asked about the alleged advice from Lord Hermer on Times Radio this morning, Dame Priti said: 'Quite frankly, I don't think we can hide behind legal advice at a time of crisis and national security.' After seeing Mr Trump at a G7 summit in Canada earlier this week, Sir Keir insisted that he did not think the US was on the verge of joining the operations against Iran. But the premier convened an emergency Cobra meeting yesterday to take stock of diplomatic efforts and UK support for British nationals in the region. There are claims that Attorney General Lord Hermer has been advising that the UK can only legally take part in military actions to defend allies. Mr Trump told reporters outside the White House he was considering strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. He said: 'I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.' Israel and Iran have been exchanging fire for days after Benjamin Netanyahu announced a campaign to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iranian officials insist the country's nuclear programme is peaceful, and claim Israel has caused hundreds of civilian casualties. A previous deal to limit Iran's enrichment of uranium was torn up by Mr Trump during his first presidency because he regarded it as too weak. The Israeli military has urged residents to evacuate the area around the Arak heavy water reactor, about 155 miles south west of the capital. Iranian state television said the reactor had been attacked, but had been evacuated and there was 'no radiation danger whatsoever'. The Soroka Medical Centre in Beer Sheba, the main hospital in southern Israel, received 'extensive damage' after being hit by an Iranian missile, according to a spokesperson for the hospital. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has rejected Mr Trump's call for surrender and warned American military involvement would result in 'irreparable damage'.
