Britons have no appetite for Donald Trump’s war fixation, and the sooner the Labour government realises this, the better, argues Owen Jones. The commentary comes amid growing pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to support US-led military action against Iran, a conflict that critics say is both illegal and disastrous.
Jones highlights that more than 1,000 civilians have been confirmed killed in Iran, including 168 people in a strike on a school, mostly young girls. US investigators reportedly believe the US military was responsible for that attack. Targets have also included medical facilities, a water desalination plant, and oil refineries, the latter causing an environmental catastrophe that has covered Tehran in black rain and toxic air.
The article points to the disastrous consequences of previous US-led wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya, where British involvement cost roughly £47 billion in today’s money. In Iraq, hundreds of thousands were killed, sectarian violence erupted, and Islamic State emerged. In Afghanistan, two decades of occupation ended with the Taliban back in power. In Libya, the country remains a failed state with two rival governments.
Jones argues that political and media elites have failed to learn any lessons from these catastrophes. He notes that figures like Tony Blair, Nigel Farage, and Kemi Badenoch are urging Starmer to back the US, despite the UK’s history of being dragged into illegal wars. The UN Charter prohibits the use of force unless a state faces an actual or imminent attack, a condition not met in this case.
The economic consequences are already being felt, with oil prices soaring. Economist Jo Michell warns that the impact on the global economy is “looking close to the worst-case scenario”. Unlike Iraq or Afghanistan, Iran can strike back, raising the stakes further.
Jones concludes that the failure to hold anyone accountable for past wars has left the UK’s political discourse in a state of amnesia. The lives of brown-skinned people continue to be devalued, and the UK’s subservience to Washington undermines its own security and prosperity.
