Hardly. It’s my memory that tells me Israel actually supported Iran during Iran’s war with Iraq and was one of the main suppliers of military equipment to Iran during that war. Mind you, that support for Iran was done clandestinely, and Iran publicly denied any cooperation between the two countries. I would wager that this is actually going back to 2003, when Britain joined the US in a highly controversial military campaign against Iraq in a quest to rid it of its supposed arsenal of “weapons of mass destruction”. (These turned out to have all been destroyed years previously.)
As I write this on June 20th 2025, there is no common ground between Israel and Iran. We have a conflict, and one which could either dry up in a few weeks, or escalate into absolute hell on earth, depending who gets to join in. So, what does my government intend to do about it?
We have one of the most insipid and ineffectual prime ministers of all time in Keith Starmer. I won’t give his full title because I don’t believe he deserves it. He will prevaricate and try not to make any decision, just in case it’s the wrong one. That’s how he operates, which you will agree is most useful in a case of war.
As America’s closest but junior ally, Britain is almost certain to be affected in some way by what happens now in the Middle East. At this moment, Starmer is asking for some kind of de-escalation. But the point is that Britain is far from being a major player. And in any case, Israel won’t be listening. They didn’t even bother to tell Britain of its intentions when bombing Iran, suggesting that us Brits are not a reliable partner.
Iran has repeatedly threatened that whoever attacks it, or which it judges to have helped enable an attack, will be retaliated against. In the event that the UK were to, say, authorise the USAF to use its base at Diego Garcia for an attack on the Iranian nuclear facility at Fordo, then that retaliation would almost certainly include the UK.
So, lots for us Brits to relish in the future.
Israel and Iran – back to the 80s?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a long history of trying to get American Presidents to go fight his wars. His record is, to be polite, mixed. This time, he has gone all in, declaring a full-on war knowing, in advance, he cannot destroy Iran’s primary enrichment plant. He has a little secret, his pal Donald Trump has monster bunker-busting bombs and the stealth bombers to deliver them.
To Borrow a phrase: It’s a big beautiful plan.
But….
Trump’s MAGA base doesn’t care about anyone beside themselves. I’m not being mean, that’s just the definition of “America First”. Little children in Africa can die of starvation as long as American billionaires don’t have to pay taxes. Actually, I’m being kind; America First also applies to Americans. ICE Agents are no longer allowed to raid farmer’s fields or poultry plants in red (Republican voting) states looking for “Illegal People.” In a state that votes blue? It’s all good, send em’ to El Salvador without a trial. Enter Netanyahu, stage left.
Bibi has been in or near the PM’s office so long he doesn’t appreciate just how much American politics has shifted in the last fifteen years. Netanyahu may have started a fight that will kill the MAGA movement. The old school conservative wing of the Party will support Israel and the angry populists will not. What exactly does “America First” mean? That’s a question Trump will have to answer in the coming days. Is peace in the Middle East in America’s interest? Do we care? Why? We didn’t start that war. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not threatened to nuke any red city.
Why should the MAGAs want war? It’s a real question and Trump will be forced to give an answer. To be clear that answer can be a lie, no matter how implausible, but he will have to offer something. Now Trump has given himself two weeks to come up with … an answer.
My best guess is that Trump will try to have a war but not really a war, something where he uses air power but doesn’t actually attack with the full force of the US Military. This is a highly dangerous path that may well end in a full ground war.
The US has NO missile defense systems at any of their Middle East bases. None. Hello? Can anyone here guess what the Iranians first move is likely to be?
Sergey, the RU in RUSUK, wanted a shiny new computer, so he decided to water his and see if he could grow a new MacBook Pro. Turns out the answer is no. His laptop is currently in a Moscow hospital awaiting partial fruit extraction. He says he will be back next week.