Can Starmer maintain ‘defensive strikes’ stance as Trump escalates threats on Iran?
In Downing Street, Keir Starmer has been at pains to emphasise that he will only authorise the use of UK bases by the US for “defensive” strikes on Iranian military targets.In the White House, Donald Trump has threatened to bomb civilian infrastructure – and said on Monday that he was “not at all” worried about committing war crimes.So far in the war, Starmer’s position has allowed him to present the UK as a responsible actor concerned for regional security – but not a direct participant in the conflict on the US side.But while that has incurred Trump’s displeasure, it has also drawn questions about whether it is legally plausible to neatly divide defensive and offensive operations – and if US attacks do begin against targets such as bridges and power plants, scrutiny of the British position will intensify even if those attacks are not launched from UK bases.When it set out its stance on “defensive” strikes, the government took the unusual step of releasing a summary of its legal position: that it was acting “in the collective self-defence of regional allies who have requested support”.
It is fair to say that many were sceptical from the start about the UK’s attempt to distinguish defensive operations involving US bombers from offensive operations in what most international law experts agreed was a conflict illegally started by the US and Israel,Susan Breau, a professor of international law and a senior associate research fellow at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, said: “How do you distinguish what’s defensive from what’s offensive? It will be extremely complicated for the UK to maintain that distinction given what Trump has said – his whole battle plan is changing,I mean, today, the Israelis issued a warning about trains [and for Iranians not to use them],Trump’s whole battle plan now is to attack civilian infrastructure,”For Breau, who had concerns about the UK position from the start, allowing the US to use UK bases is the main issue.
“I could see the UK still having bases and having ships there to defend its Gulf neighbours but it’s allowing the US to use their bases that’s problematic,” she said.“When the attack came on the [UK] base in Cyprus, on their allies in the Gulf, I could understand why the UK would open up their bases.But now Trump is changing the battle plan, he’s changing the rules of engagement.”However, Victor Kattan, an assistant professor of public international law at the University of Nottingham, said he thought the UK’s existing legal position could be defended, even if Trump carries out his threats.He said the British government knowingly allowing their planes, missiles or bases for such purposes would be unlawful “and the UK government should make that clear to the Americans and perhaps even stop them from using those bases in those contexts.
”But he added: “They [the British] could say, ‘Look, we’re only allowing our systems, hardware, our personnel to shoot down rockets and the launchers as well that shoot those rockets that are being targeted at, say, the Qataris or the Kuwaitis or the Emiratis or the Saudis,But our bases and hardware’s not being used to punish the government of Iran, for example, or to participate in attacks on bridges, critical infrastructure, oil and gas, bunkers, that kind of thing,’ It’s a fine distinction to make, but I think it’s tenable,”Where Breau and Kattan do agree is that the UK will be keeping a close eye on its legal position to see whether it remains fit for purpose, even if they do not necessarily agree on the answer to that key question,Kattan said it was a given that the UK would be “constantly reviewing” it, while Breau said of the legal case: “They need to reconsider it.
And I would be surprised if they’re not [already].
Colbert on Trump’s Iran speech: old news ‘delivered by a narcotized turtle’
With most late-night hosts on holiday, Stephen Colbert recapped Donald Trump’s prime-time national address on the war in Iran and his firing of the US attorney general, Pam Bondi.Stephen Colbert opened Thursday’s Late Show with a celebration of the new US moon mission – “I’ve got moon madness!” he exclaimed – but after a bit on reported toilet trouble onboard Artemis II, he turned to more pressing Earth-bound matters. “Speaking of human waste, just a few hours ago we learnt that President Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi,” he told the audience at the Ed Sullivan Theater.“Now listen, in tribute to Pam Bondi, I offer this heartfelt farewell … ,” he added, pulling out a letter that began “Dear Pam”, followed by paragraphs of blacked-out text and the sign off: “Sincerely, Stephen Colbert” – a reference to the many, many redactions of the Epstein files that Bondi oversaw as attorney general.Bondi lost her job because Trump was reportedly upset over her handling of the said files, a dark cloud which still hangs over his administration
Post your questions for DJ Shadow
It’s almost 30 years since DJ Shadow released his era-defining debut album, Endtroducing….., and as is the way of the nostalgia industry, it had a lavish 25th-anniversary reissue five years ago, remastered at Abbey Road studios. It was such a success that Shadow has decided to repeat the process and clean up his “pre-album and non-album” catalogue. In May comes The Mo’Wax Singles 1993-1997, a box set featuring eight 12ins with all the Californian producer’s singles for James Lavelle’s label, plus alternative mixes and brand new art
Stephen Colbert on Trump attending birthright citizenship hearing: ‘That’s mob-boss-level intimidation’
Late-night hosts tore into Donald Trump’s intimidation tactics at the supreme court hearing on birthright citizenship and another judge’s order to halt construction of his White House ballroom.Wednesday was “a big night on all the broadcast networks”, said Stephen Colbert on The Late Show, as Trump gave a primetime national address on the war in Iran.“It was concise, intelligent and brought the nation together with shared purpose,” Colbert said. “April fools! Trump gave a speech tonight, on the first night of Passover. So whether you’re Jewish or not, I recommend having had four glasses of wine
Colbert on Trump’s shifting tone on Iran: ‘It’s a military strategy known as starting a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle’
Late-night hosts touched on soaring oil prices from Donald Trump’s war in Iran as he backs down from solving the crisis in the strait of Hormuz.Stephen Colbert opened Tuesday’s monologue with an acknowledgment that for the first time since 2022, gas prices have soared to more than $4 a gallon. “I mean, who could’ve seen this coming? Just two days ago gas was a reasonable $3.98,” the Late Show host quipped. “Yesterday it was $3
Chatting dating, jazz and the Harlem Renaissance: the exclusive supper clubs where Black women nourish community
Dimmed lights and the honey-like vocals of R&B singers greeted guests at Sost, a restaurant in Washington DC, in late December. Though they entered as strangers, the 11 Black women attendees hugged each other before taking their seats. The ambiance was intimate and soulful, with a sparse table setting in a private room that boasted deep red walls. Crystle Johnson, the founder of Kinory, a dining community for Black women, led the group in a moment of silent meditation.As an icebreaker, everyone shared who they were without talking about their profession
‘After one gig, someone stole my car with my dole money in it’: Morcheeba on how they made The Sea
We’d made our first album and were waiting for it to come out. But we wanted to carry on writing more stuff while we were in the mood. I even cut Christmas dinner short at my uncle’s in Brixton, London, so we could get back to the studio. We would work until we passed out, then I’d sleep underneath the mixing desk with my head in the bass drum, as that’s where the pillow was.One night in early 1996, my brother Paul and I stayed up all night drinking vodka, trying to write as many songs as we could, and we came up with much of the Big Calm album
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