Ex-MI6 chief says ‘strong case’ for US attack on Iran without UK military involvement
Sir John Sawers said UK PM had 'straighforward' task of allowing US planes to take off from Diego Garcia base
Ex-MI6 chief Sir John Sawers has said a “strong case” exists for Donald Trump to attack Iranian nuclear sites with bunker-busting bombs, but that the UK should not get involved with any action.
Sawers, who was head of the Secret Intelligence Service from 2009 to 2014, also said it was likely that the Americans would use the Diego Garcia base, leaving Keir Starmer with a “straightforward decision” to give the go ahead for them to use it.
Speaking on Thursday he said of the possible US action “in some ways it would be better if they got on with it because then the wider conflict between Israel and Iran would have a chance of drawing to a close.”
During an appearance at a Chatham House think-tank event, he was asked how he thought the UK should respond.
“I don’t think we need to get involved in this,” he said. “Frankly, if American bombers do strike from Diego Garcia.. the fact is we’ve just negotiated a long term deal so there could be an American base on Diego Garcia.
“I don’t see Keir Starmer saying ‘but you can’t use it’. That is a straightforward decision, very straightforward.”
His comments came after Lord Ricketts, the government’s national security adviser between 2010 and 2012, said air strikes on the Tehran regime would only “reinforce their determination” to get a nuclear bomb.
Appearing on ITV’s Peston show, Ricketts was asked if the UK should involve itself in US military action.
“My feeling is we should not, for the simple reason that I think the only way you’re going to control Iran’s nuclear ambitions in the long term is by having a deal with them,” he said.
“I think just coming back and bombing them every few years is not going to make the world safer. In fact it’s going to reinforce their determination to keep working on a nuclear weapon when this round of fighting is over.”
Also appearing on Robert Peston’s show was Anthony Scaramucci, who praised Keir Starmer for getting the UK “out of the typical humiliation ritual” that Donald Trump presents to world leaders.
While he said Starmer’s close relationship with Trump was not a “real” one, but he would give the UK Prime Minister “a lot of credit” for the way it has turned out.
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