Starmer Urges US Not to Give Up on Diplomatic Path With Iran

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(Bloomberg) — Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on President Donald Trump to keep the door open to talks over Iran’s nuclear program, in the clearest sign yet of the UK leader’s concern about possible American military action against the country.

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Starmer used a brief media appearance on Thursday to reaffirm his case for de-escalation in the Middle East, even as US officials laid the ground for potential strikes on Iranian nuclear targets. High-profile American intervention into what has so far been largely Israel’s operation risks drawing others into the conflict, including the UK. 

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“The nuclear issue has to be dealt with, but it’s better dealt with by way of negotiation than by way of conflict and therefore our clear objective here is to de-escalate the situation,” Starmer told broadcasters on Thursday. “There have been several rounds of discussions with the US. That, to me, is the way to resolve this issue.”

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The British prime minister convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday to craft his response to the fast-moving situation. Before Israel launched its campaign against Iran’s nuclear program, Starmer had been ramping up pressure on the country over its military actions in Gaza while encouraging the Trump administration to reach out to Iran.

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Foreign Secretary David Lammy will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later Thursday in Washington in a bid to persuade the US administration to pursue a path of peace. Lammy led a call earlier this week with European partners and Iran, in which they reiterated their commitment to the region’s stability and a diplomatic way forward, while urging Iran to restrain from taking further steps.

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“The UK has had long standing concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme for many years and the foreign secretary is ready to support talks to press for a diplomatic solution to this, reiterating the need for a diplomatic settlement to address the nuclear issue for the long term,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

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Trump told allies at the Group of Seven summit in Canada that he agreed that de-escalation was the preferred route and Starmer said publicly that he had “no doubt” Trump wouldn’t intervene. The US president later signaled that he was considering military action, leaving European partners scrambling to avert a wider war. 

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US Officials Plan for Possible Strike on Iran in Coming Days

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A missile from Iran on Thursday struck an Israeli hospital for the first time since the war started almost a week ago, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Israel to announce he would exact “the full price” from the Iranian administration for the strike. Senior US officials are preparing for the possibility of military action on Iran in coming days, with some pointing to potential plans for a weekend strike, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. 

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The UK could be forced into a difficult decision over whether to provide support for such an attack, especially via its Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean. That’s politically fraught in the UK, where bitter memories of Prime Minister Tony Blair’s participation in the US invasion of Iraq more than two decades ago still linger.