Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has spoken of her fear of British casualties as a result of missile strikes in the Gulf following the US attack on Iran.
She defended the government’s decision to let the US use UK military bases to target Iran, saying it was vital to protect 300,000 Britons in the Gulf region.
Asked if it was necessary to accept that British lives could also be lost, after President Trump warned there would be more US casualties in the conflict, Ms Cooper said: “I am already deeply worried about the risks in terms of casualties and threats across those Gulf countries that are being so heavily targeted. That is happening already because of the reckless way this Iranian regime has responded and the attacks they have launched.
“This is about making sure we can defend British citizens, British interests, and provide that support for what is taking place.
“If we refused the ability to support the kind of defensive action that could prevent ballistic missile attacks on hotels in Dubai for example, I just don’t think that would be the right thing to do.”
Ms Cooper’s comments came after Sir Keir Starmer faced criticism from some leftwing Labour backbenchers for letting British bases be used by the US to strike Iran after refusing to let them be used in America’s initial attack.
Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the prime minister was at risk of being sucked in to Mr Trump’s “aggressive” war on Iran.
Mr McDonnell said: “We are being drawn in, just as we were in Iraq, following the US in what is an incredibly dangerous situation.”
Ms Cooper said the Foreign Office was drawing up a register of all 300,000 Britons in the region to advise them on how best to protect themselves.
With flights out of the region cancelled, current advice is to “shelter in place,” she said.
“We have seen the hotel in Dubai that was hit, we have seen attacks on airports across the region… we have so many British citizens there,” Ms Cooper told the BBC.
“We have to take that preventative action to prevent these ballistic missile strikes on those locations where there are so many British citizens.”
Ms Cooper rejected criticism of the British Government’s actions against Iran.
She maintained the UK was taking “collective self defence” alongside allies against a nation that had “backed criminal threats on UK streets”.
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