Is the UK being dragged into a war that is not in its interests, against international law, and without a vote in Parliament because of its alliance with an out-of-control US? There is increasing reason to think so.

The US administration has no clear war aims nor any idea when its bombardment of Iran might end. That shouldn’t surprise anymore. Two weeks ago Secretary of State Marco Rubio admitted that his country felt obliged to strike Iran, because Israel was planning to – and that would have prompted Tehran to strike US assets in the region, so Washington therefore had to launch pre-emptive strikes against Iran.

Joe Kent, the US counterterrorism chief who resigned last week over Iran, confirmed that “Israel drove the decision to take this action… We could have told the Israelis, ‘No you will not’.”

Others claim that Israel has been trying for many years to involve the US in a war on Iran, but only Trump was stupid enough to take the bait. This may have been facilitated by last year’s destructive vandalism done to the federal government by Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which saw many expert analysts – including those who understood energy markets – sacked.

Many feel that Trump has now lost any control of the war that he may have had. More troops are being sent and there are fears of a ground invasion of Iran, egged on by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Fewer than 10% of people in the world would support such a move.

Given the unpopularity of this conflict, the US is keen to spread the burden and involve Britain. Until reently, Keir Starmer was regaining some popularity for resisting that pressure.

Starmer accommodates

That changed a few days ago with the announcement that he will allow the United States to use British bases to attack Iranian missile sites and capabilities that could be used to target the Strait of Hormuz. Former Chief of Staff under Jeremy Corbyn MP’s leadership Simon Fletcher called it a “major and dangerous escalation of the conflict. Yet no debate, let alone vote, has been permitted in Parliament.”

Former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell MP tweeted: “Step by step Trump and Netanyahu are dragging us into this war at a risk to our safety  and our economy.”

He added: “We are on an escalator drawing our country into a dangerous and disastrous war. We are a sovereign country not a Trump colony and must ally with others to de-escalate to secure a negotiated settlement to secure peace and stabilise the global economy.”

Former Shadow Employment Secretary Andy McDonald MP agreed: “I share concerns that the UK is being drawn further into this US and Israel-initiated conflict. This is mission creep without parliamentary authorisation.”

One of Keir Starmer’s pledges when he ran for Labour’s leadership in 2020 was a law requiring “the consent of the Commons” for military action. Now the Government is wriggling out of that commitment by claiming that allowing the US to use British bases is purely defensive.

John McDonnell MP pointed out: “Labour ministers’ line now is Keir Starmer never promised vote on ‘defensive’ military action and it’s unprecedented. There was no ‘defensive’ caveat in his promise. Every war has been presented as ‘defensive’ including Iraq, and Blair allowed a vote. This is embarrassing sophistry.”

Apsana Begum MP agreed:  “Defensive or offensive military action is still military action. As I said when the news emerged of Iran being attacked weeks ago, any involvement of the UK in Iran must be decided through votes in Parliament.”  

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch UK believe that allowing the US to use British military bases could constitute a violation of international law. The group’s director Yasmine Ahmed has written to the Prime Minister, Attorney General and Foreign Secretary to tell them so.

Good for the arms industry

British fingerprints are already on one of the worst atrocities of the conflict so far. Components tied to two defence companies linked to the UK – BAE Systems and Raytheon UK – have been identified in the Tomahawk cruise missile that struck a school in Iran, killing over 175 people, mostly schoolgirls. “Analysis of footage of debris from the site by the London-based research charity Action on Armed Violence, combined with US Government procurement data, strongly suggests that firms linked to Britain’s defence industry played a role in producing subsystems for the weapon used in the 28th February attack,” Byline Times reports.

As Britian is dragged deeper into a reactionary war that benefits nobody except the military-industrial lobby and will cause further slaughter and untold hardship worldwide as energy prices skyrocket, we can expect much of the media to move into full jingoistic mode. A mass anti-war movement will need to be constructed, breaking with past routinism, that can meet the challenge and force our Government to not only stay out of this conflict but to pressurise the aggressors to stop.

Hold firm against Donald Trump’s pressure – don’t let him pull us into his war in Iran. Sign the petition here.

Image: London demonstration Saturday March 21st, c/o Labour Hub.