Keir Starmer has appealed to Donald Trump to strike a peace deal with Iran as the US president escalated his rhetoric against Tehran by threatening to wipe out a “whole civilisation”.
As the deadline approached for Iran to end its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump lashed out on his Truth Social platform by saying: “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”
The ramping up of threats has even alarmed those close to Trump, including Reform leader Nigel Farage, who said the president’s latest comments had gone “too far”.
The president has warned that the US will bomb Iran’s civilian infrastructure including power plants and bridges if the regime does not free up the Strait for shipping by 1am BST on Wednesday.
Amid fears of an escalation in the conflict, the US state department issued a warning on Tuesday to all American citizens in Bahrain to “shelter in place”.
Asked whether Britons in the Gulf state were being advised to do the same, the Foreign Office said only that it was keeping all travel advice under review.
Downing Street calls for negotiated settlement
Downing Street called for de-escalation in the conflict and a negotiated settlement between all sides.
Starmer’s official spokesman said: “We believe that the best path for the region is through a negotiated settlement, one in which Iran agrees to abandon its aspiration to develop a nuclear weapon and ceases its destabilising activities across the Middle East.”
With relations between Starmer and Trump going through a rough patch, the UK government has not directly commented on the increasingly belligerent rhetoric of the US president, but Downing Street has reiterated its position on appealing for de-escalation in the region.
The US president is expected to hold talks with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte in Washington on Wednesday.
In his post, Trump said the “complete and total regime change” in Iran had resulted in a situation where “different, smarter, and less radicalised minds prevail”.
He said: “Maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World.”
The president has said he is “not at all” concerned that attacks on civilian infrastructure could constitute a war crime.
The i Paper revealed on Monday that the UK will not let the US use its RAF bases for American military strikes against Iranian bridges and power plants.
Asked whether such strikes would be a war crime, given the UK has repeatedly said Russia’s targeting of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine is such, the PM’s official spokesman said: “The UK position to this conflict has remained clear from day one, we remain committed to defending our people, our interests and those of our allies, acting in accordance with international law and not getting drawn into the war.”
Asked whether RAF bases could be used by the US to target Iran’s civilian infrastructure, the spokesman said: “Our position has not changed.”
The spokesman said the PM had been clear “this isn’t our war” and “our position is very much focused on de-escalation”.
Over the top in every single way
Farage said he believed the latest comments from Trump – whom the Reform leader counts as a personal friend – showed the president was “upset and angry”.
Asked about Trump’s threat to wipe out a “whole civilisation”, Farage said: “I am quite shocked just to hear that. That is over the top in every single way.
“Yes of course he wants to threaten – to get them to the negotiating table. But those words are… they’re way too far.”
Asked if this was the sort of language befitting a US president, Farage added: “He’s an upset, angry American president.
“He’s wholly unconventional but I would remind you of what Churchill said about the bombing of Germany during the war. Some quite extraordinary things were said there as well.”
Trump’s Truth Social post came as military strategists from more than 40 countries held virtual talks, hosted by defence chiefs in London, on a plan to help merchant ships navigate the Strait of Hormuz once the conflict is over.
It is understood that the US did not attend the talks. No10 refused to say whether Pentagon officials had been invited to the meeting.
Britain’s involvement in the conflict has been confined to defensive operations to protect Gulf states and Britons in the region, while also granting permission for the US to use UK military bases to carry out limited defensive operations.
These operations have been only those targeting Iran’s missile sites and facilities being used to target shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
On Tuesday, two additional Merlin Crowsnest helicopters used for airborne surveillance over land, air and sea, arrived at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
RAF Regiment gunners, operating in a high threat area, successfully downed an Iranian drone threatening the region overnight on Monday, while UK Typhoons and F-35 jets, supported by Voyager refuelling and Royal Navy Merlin and Wildcat helicopters, continued their defensive missions across the region.
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