The US-Israeli war on Iran is engulfing the Middle East in flames. Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have overseen the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme leader, along with numerous high-ranking Iranian officials. The purpose of their bombing campaign is clear: regime change.
Trump now cynically recasts himself as a liberator; a supposed friend of the Iranian people – urging them to rise up against tyranny, topple the regime, and seize the historic moment that he has so generously provided for them.
US bombs have never delivered freedom, however. They have produced only failed states and devastation, as Iraq so strikingly illustrates.
The British public knows this, and has no desire to see history repeat itself.
In turn, ‘Sir’ Keir Starmer is no doubt conscious of the potential political repercussions that this latest conflagration in the Middle East could have for him and his government.
View this post on Instagram
Rogue state
Responding to the latest US-Israeli assault on Iran, last Saturday, the British Prime Minister issued a statement lambasting a rogue state that has carried out “indiscriminate” attacks, “brutally crushed dissent”, and “sought to destabilise the region”.
These words were intended to describe Iran. But they are a more fitting description of the actions of the Israeli state. Fresh from the genocide in Gaza, Netanyahu has sought peace through war, making no secret of his desire to dominate the whole of the Middle East.
Starmer singled out one nation that could “stop this now” by returning to diplomacy and the process of negotiations. Fitting words, again – not for Iran, but for the criminal aggression of US imperialism.
My statement on Iran. pic.twitter.com/Ki4VVTYO4N
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) February 28, 2026
Drunk on success after his criminal kidnapping of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, Trump has shown his utter contempt for the postwar guardrails of international law and the norms of bourgeois diplomacy.
But in Starmer’s topsy-turvy world, everything stands on its head. Iran, he wishes us to believe, is the real menace in the Middle East. US imperialism and its Israeli proxy, meanwhile, are not our foes, but our friends.
Nuclear threat
Starmer also insisted that Iran should “give up their weapons programme” – parroting the Zionist talking point that Iran is intent on developing nukes to wreak havoc on the world.
In fact, for decades, Khamenei ruled out building nuclear weapons, and expressed openness to negotiations with the US over international supervision of Iran’s civilian nuclear programme.
The real nuclear threat in the Middle East is – of course – Israel, whose WMD stockpiles are not only undeclared but also unsupervised.
The US did not attack Iran because its nuclear project posed an ‘imminent threat’. The US bombed Iran and murdered its leaders precisely because it does not have nuclear weapons, meaning the Islamic Republic was deemed to be a defeatable target.
Perhaps the new leaders of Iran might learn a lesson from all of this, move to expedite the development of a nuclear bomb, if and when the dust settles.
Keeping a distance
Whilst repeating his usual doublespeak, however, Starmer has tried to distance himself and Britain from Trump’s barrage against Iran.
Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, the Labour leader tried to reassure MPs by stating that: “This government does not believe in regime change from the skies.”
The UK, the PM said, would only take part in military action if there was a “lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan”.
We are working with our longstanding friends and allies in collective self-defence.
That’s how we protect British interests and British lives. pic.twitter.com/WBb2P49V7U
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) March 2, 2026
As a former human rights lawyer, Starmer knows that the pretext used by the US to justify its aerial bombardment of Iran – dressed up as a ‘pre-emptive strike’; an act of ‘anticipatory self-defence’ – has no standing in international law.
The US-Israeli attack on Iran is an unprovoked, criminal act of aggression. Even the UN Charter (Article 51) recognises that Iran has a right to self-defence in response to such a brazen assault.
At the same time, Starmer has not mustered a single word of condemnation against US imperialism. Instead, the UK PM has dusted off the old script and urged Iran to show “restraint”, calling on the Iranian regime to come back to the “negotiating table”.
In essence, Starmer is telling the Iranian people: submit to US imperialism; allow the US to kill your leaders; allow Israel to bomb your schools; allow the ‘free’ and ‘democratic’ West to decide the fate of your country.
The hypocrisy stinks.
Walking the tightrope
Starmer’s response to the latest US-Israeli attack on Iran demonstrates the tightrope he walks in world politics.
On the one hand, the Labour leader cannot openly endorse the gangsterism of the Mafioso boss in the White House, fearing the wrath of public opinion back home, where there is staunch opposition to imperialist war and intervention.
On the other hand, Starmer cannot firmly oppose Trump, for fear of damaging the so-called ‘special relationship’ between the USA and Britain – an economic and military relationship upon which British imperialism and its representatives are completely dependent.
To appease his masters in Washington, Starmer quickly realised that simply condemning Iran would not be enough. Words are fine things, but in politics it is deeds that count.
In an effort to placate both the belligerent Trump and hesitant Labour MPs, therefore, Starmer has signed the UK up to assisting only with supposedly ‘defensive’ operations. This includes intercepting Iranian missiles, and allowing British bases to be used as a launchpad for the US’ bombing campaign.
Framing the launching of strikes against Iran by US fighter jets as a ‘defensive’ measure would be comical if the consequences were not so grave. In effect, Starmer and co. have made British military bases and personnel a legitimate military target, bringing the UK into direct confrontation with Iran.
Despite Starmer’s attempts to play with words, the Prime Minister has allowed Britain to be dragged into this war – a war provoked by the US and its Israeli allies, which the western imperialists have no capacity to control.
This war is already setting the Middle East ablaze. And its impact will be felt across the planet: fuelling further instability in the world economy; radicalising consciousness; and intensifying the political backlash against Starmer’s hated government.
Bending over backwards
Unfortunately for Starmer, this servile offering was not enough for Trump.
In yet another ritual of humiliation, Trump publicly rebuked Starmer for taking too long to provide British backing to US imperialism’s latest military adventure.
The American President condemned his UK counterpart, stating that he was “very disappointed” that the US was not given immediate access to British bases, such as Diego Garcia in the Indo-Pacific.
Trump later doubled down on his admonishments in another interview. “It’s very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was,” the US President asserted. “I never thought I’d see that from the UK.”
From rolling out the red carpet and royal pageantry for Trump; to Starmer’s refusal to criticise the illegal abduction of Nicolas Maduro or the President’s grab for Greenland: the British establishment has done everything in its power to bend over backwards for Washington and appease the occupant of the Oval Office.
Yet all of this grovelling and fawning has been for nothing, other than to make Starmer and his government look limp and pathetic – both in the eyes of Donald Trump and the British public.
The result is that Starmer and his ministers are universally hated: by the Trump administration for failing to adequately toe the line of US imperialism; by workers and youth in Britain for aiding and abetting the genocide in Gaza, and now the war on Iran; and by backbench Labour MPs for endangering their jobs with all this feeble flip-flopping on foreign policy.
Constraint of class struggle
Feeling the pressure from their constituents, who have no appetite for seeing British involvement in another imperialist war, Labour MPs are calling on Starmer to grow a spine and stand up to Trump.
Squirming as they watch Britain’s longstanding ally – the USA – shred apart the so-called ‘rules-based order’, these respectable ladies and gentlemen yearn for Britain to chart its own course on the world stage.
But this is a deluded fantasy. As the world fractures into competing imperialist blocs, Britain is even less able to have an independent foreign policy, but is instead forced to conduct an ever-more-delicate balancing act as it attempts to maintain cordial relations with all the big powers.
This explains why Starmer and co. have sought to maintain the ‘special relationship’ at all cost – including providing financial, military, and diplomatic support for Israel’s murderous campaign in Gaza.
Starmer and his government are now paying the price for their subservience to US imperialism, however.
British imperialism’s complicit role in the genocide in Palestine has left an indelible mark on consciousness. Millions of workers and youth in Britain have been awakened to the hypocrisy and cynicism of their leaders, and have been actively brought into politics.
First it was Saddam’s supposed ‘weapons of mass destruction’. Then it was the capitalist media’s lies in relation to Palestine. Now it is the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme. We have been here before. Nobody believes the establishment and their mouthpieces anymore.
This mass anger, in turn, now imposes limits upon Starmer as to how far he can go in serving the interests of US imperialism.
What really constrains Starmer and British imperialism, therefore, is not ‘international law’ but the class struggle at home. There would be a militant mass opposition to anything resembling an Iraq 2.0.
There is already a burning hatred against Starmer’s Labour as the party of war and genocide, as revealed by the recent by-election in Gorton & Denton. And Labour MPs know that further imperialist meddling in the Middle East would sign their death sentence in dozens – if not hundreds – of other working-class constituencies across the country.
Overthrow the warmongers!
What we are witnessing is a confluence of all the crises that Starmer and the British establishment face, domestically and internationally.
The turmoil globally is impacting on events and consciousness in Britain. In turn, however, the radicalisation amongst workers and youth at home shackles what the UK government can do abroad.
Starmer’s zigzagging over Iran is therefore yet another symptom of the crisis of his government – a crisis of the entire capitalist regime in Britain.
View this post on Instagram
The Labour leaders are attempting to face in all directions at once. But this only guarantees that they please nobody at all; that they tie themselves into ever tighter, more convoluted knots. Whatever they do in such a scenario will be wrong.
Above all, these latest developments are further proof that capitalism and imperialism have nothing to offer but violence, war, and misery – horror without end.
There has never been a more pressing need to get organised against this barbaric system.
The task of communists is to expose the hypocrisy and cynical motivations of ‘our own’ ruling class; to build a powerful organisation that can put an end to the chaos and conflict of capitalism; to overthrow the warmongers in Westminster and Washington, and fight for worldwide socialist revolution.
That’s why we say:
- Hands off Iran! No to imperialist war!
- Starmer out! Down with their rotten system!
- Overthrow the warmongers! Fight imperialism!
Iran solidarity demo in Manchester: Anger, provocation, and confusion
William Gedling, Manchester
On Monday evening, Manchester RCP members attended the first Iran demo held by Stop the War (StW) that brought in 150 people. We spoke to young students and workers who told us they had come out because they hated US imperialism and Starmer’s complicity.
One young worker – sporting a Unite the Union beanie – told us: “Enough is enough. So much has happened this year already, I can’t sit idly by.”
With this being the first demonstration after the war broke out on Saturday morning, everyone was eagerly wanting to express their anger, not only towards Trump and Israel but also Keir Starmer.
View this post on Instagram
Significantly, the Epstein files came up with almost every person we interviewed. One student felt that Trump’s latest act of aggression was tied to his difficult position at home: “It’s a distraction! If they’re not on the Epstein list, they are covering up someone who is.”
A lot of StW’s speakers expressed how they felt how Iran is a “complicated situation”. We beg to disagree, it’s quite simple: US and Israeli imperialism are waging an unprovoked, predatory war against an oppressed, besieged nation.
There was a 80-strong Pahlavi-supporting monarchist counter-demo that was loud enough to drown out the speakers.
On Saturday, these crazed, pro-US monarchists were able to bring out hundreds, dwarfing the turnout to the Stop the War demo on Monday – something that has been replicated elsewhere, like Newcastle.
One student we spoke with correctly pointed out that – despite what some might say – this was not a complicated situation: “It’s them [the Monarchists] that are waving the US and Israeli flags. The same countries that have been committing a genocide for the past two years. It’s us versus them.”
RCP members joined the younger bloc that had formed to face off the monarchists, raising slogans such as: “From the belly of the beast, hands off the Middle East!” and “Hands off Iran, down with imperialism!”
Unfortunately, after raising the slogan “Keir Starmer you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide!”, a steward came up to us and told us to be quiet so that they could hear a speaker. However, a group of students chimed in to defend us: “we can’t hear the speakers because of the monarchists!”
Scandalously, the organisers of the demo then told everyone – despite general confusion and disagreement – to march away from the provocative Israeli flag-waving monarchists, and towards Piccadilly Gardens. This could not be seen as anything other than a retreat!
As the monarchists cheered our departure, one person told us: “I have never felt so defeated, this is an embarrassment.”
Another activist, in literal tears, came and asked us why there was a low turnout. We discussed the general exhaustion after the endless Palestine demos that did not end the genocide, the weak slogans that haven’t worked and the lack of perspectives.
She agreed with what we said, and resolved, “well we have to start somewhere, we need to raise consciousness”. She said she looks forward to seeing us again.
We managed to speak to one last person before the demonstration broke up. Asking them how they thought the demonstration went, they said: “I came here looking for answers and all we have done is get shouted at by people waving Israeli flags, and walked away. The leaders do not know what they’re doing.”
