LONDON, March 4 (Reuters) - Britain needs to keep a cool head over the conflict in the Middle East to address the public's concerns about escalation, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday.
UK's Starmer vows to keep a 'cool head' after Trump castigation
Starmer's Response to US Criticism and Middle East Escalation
By Sam Tabahriti
Background of the Conflict
LONDON, March 4 (Reuters) - Keir Starmer said Britain would respond to the escalating conflict in the Middle East with a "cool head" after President Donald Trump chastised the prime minister for failing to provide sufficient support for his strikes on Iran.
UK's Initial Position and Shift
Britain, historically a staunch ally of Washington, initially refused to allow its military bases to be used by the U.S. for its assault on Tehran, only tempering that position when Iran attacked its neighbours - allowing UK bases to be used for limited defensive strikes.
Trump's Reaction
Trump responded by castigating Starmer three times, including in the Oval Office on Tuesday where he told reporters "This is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with".
Starmer's Parliamentary Statement
Emphasis on the Special Relationship
Starmer, who had previously said any British military action must have a "viable, thought-through plan", told parliament on Wednesday that the so-called special relationship was on display every day in the conflict, and didn't hang on the words of the U.S. president.
Examples of UK-US Cooperation
Citing American planes flying from British bases, British jets protecting U.S. bases and the sharing of intelligence, he said: "That is the special relationship in action.
"Hanging on to President Trump's latest words is not the special relationship."
Domestic Criticism and Security Measures
Political Opposition at Home
Starmer said he knew people across Britain were worried about the potential for escalation, and as a result he said Britain would act "with clarity, with purpose and with a cool head".
Starmer has been criticised from all sides at home for the decision, with opponents on the left calling for him to condemn the military action. On the right, opposition leaders Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage attacked Starmer for failing to back Britain's key security and intelligence ally.
Military Coordination and Response
Starmer said Britain had been liaising closely with the United States for weeks on pre-deploying military assets to the region.
Deployment of UK Forces
After an Iranian-made Shahed drone hit the runway on the British Akrotiri base on the island of Cyprus, London said it would deploy HMS Dragon, an air-defence destroyer, along with additional helicopters with counter-drone capabilities.
(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti, writing by Kate Holton; editing by William James)
