Sir Keir Starmer will face questions in the Commons over Iran conflict decisions after Donald Trump said the PM was ‘not Winston Churchill’
Keir Starmer will address the nation today as he is set to face questioning in the Commons regarding his decisions on the escalating Iran conflict, following a fresh wave of criticism from Donald Trump. The US President has again rebuked the Prime Minister, stating that Sir Keir is “not Winston Churchill”, after he refused to allow American planes to launch their initial strikes against Tehran from British bases.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister announced that Britain will deploy HMS Dragon, one of the Royal Navy’s six Type 45 air defence destroyers, to defend Cyprus after RAF Akrotiri was hit by a drone.
As the conflict between Iran and the USA enters its fifth day, it is likely to dominate the agenda when Sir Keir takes to the Commons at noon on Wednesday for Prime Minister’s Questions.
Trump expressed his discontent with the UK, stating he is “not happy” after the UK initially refused to allow the US to use its bases for strikes on Iran. He later added in the Oval Office: “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”
Despite the repeated criticism from Mr Trump, Downing Street maintains that the US remains a “staunch” ally.
On Sunday, Sir Keir decided that UK bases, including the joint UK-US Diego Garcia site in the Chagos Islands and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, could be used in the conflict, but only to allow the US to strike defensively to protect countries targeted by Tehran. HMS Dragon is being prepared for deployment to the Mediterranean, equipped with two Wildcat helicopters armed with “drone busting” Martlet missiles, ready to safeguard Britain’s bases in Cyprus.
The warship, proudly displaying the Welsh red dragon on its prow, was spotted on Tuesday night at the Upper Harbour Ammunition Facility (UHAF) in Portsmouth harbour.
In other news, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has confirmed that a Government charter flight will depart from Muscat, Oman, “in the coming days” to repatriate vulnerable British nationals.
Approximately 130,000 Britons have registered their presence in the Middle East with the Foreign Office as part of evacuation planning.
A few commercial flights are already ferrying thousands of stranded Britons back to the UK, but most departures from the region have been cancelled due to widespread airspace closures.
America and Israel have continued to strike Iran since the killing of its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.
Tehran and its allies have retaliated against Israel, neighbouring Gulf states, and oil and gas production facilities.
Mr Trump has suggested the US military may begin escorting oil tankers through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, in an effort to protect them from Iranian attacks and curb the skyrocketing energy prices caused by the war.
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