President Trump was elected on a No more foreign wars ticket. He has let Israel wage war on Iran, just allowing one bombing flight if US planes to damage nuclear facilities Israel could not reach.
Trump supporters argue this was legal as there is a threat to the US – and allies- if Iran is about to make a nuclear bomb. Years of pretending Iran is a normal state we can negotiate settlements with has meant turning a blind eye to Iran terrorist supported activity throughout the Middle East. The West has had to overlook Iran’s progress to producing weapons grade uranium. The idea is one raid to force Iran to negotiate from a position of weakness.
The Europeans worry about the legality of the action. They are concerned about Iranian retaliation. Some Maga supporters think this is a needless foreign diversion from the domestic agenda. What say you?
June 23, 2025
Just who are these people who decide what’s legal or not.
The question should be is it moral or necessary, the answer is a resounding yes.
Trumps actions will make the other bit players think twice particularly CHINA invading Taiwan.
Trump should be applauded unlike the mealy mouthed AG we have who was never elected let alone wanted
June 23, 2025
@Ian Wragg. Possibly, but the Chinese might think this is a great time to invade Taiwan, especially if it hots up. US naval forces are now concentrated in the Gulf/Med. If the US gets embroiled in Iran, it gives China cover to take action in its hemisphere. Iran doesn’t have nukes or vast conventional forces, so Trump’s toughness against Iran doesn’t compare to facing China.
June 23, 2025
Taiwan gets hundreds of millions of US funding to pend on defending itself from aggression and the US 7th fleet is positioned not far away so Westerner I think it is unlikely China would use this time to try to invade.
June 24, 2025
I suspect Taiwan will be more a slow war of attrition.
June 23, 2025
Medvedev says other countries may now be more likely to supply Iran with a nuclear bomb.
If America gets bogged down in another Middle Eastern war then there are opportunities for others to take military action elsewhere in the world.
China gets oil from Iran, so they have an interest in the situation too,
June 23, 2025
‘Medvedev says other countries may now be more likely to supply Iran with a nuclear bomb’
– that is a possibility.
But Medvevdev can’t say that too confidently. If so, then Trump would go into Ukraine full on to crush Russia and topple Putin (who is on the ropes – and with Putin, Medvedev)). And sending a strong signal to the rest of the world. He might go after North Korea next, I wonder.
June 24, 2025
Th US has no intention of getting embroiled in Iran. China has told Iran not to do anything as stupid as closing the Hormuz Strait. Not only would this be a gross breach of interanational law (UNCLOS) but very much against China’s interests since somehwere around 50% of its oil imports pass through this strait.
June 25, 2025
China has been observed in a military build-up consistent with a potential Taiwan invasion. They probably calculate that the US is distracted elsewhere.
June 23, 2025
I switched on the news this morning to the presenter telling us 2TK is going to announce the governments 10 year industrial strategy. Having continued to follow the tory de industrialisation of the past 14 years I thought I was dreaming.
I can only think they are to announce the closure of all gas and oil facilities plus the remaining CCGT plants and start breeding Unicorns.
June 23, 2025
+1
June 23, 2025
Ian,
Agree entirely. It would be good to think that this complex operation has annihilated Iran’s nuclear capability. My concern is that either an already constructed bomb, or one supplied by Iran’s allies, or material to rapidly construct a bomb, has already been removed to an alternative site which remains intact.
I could imagine that Khomeini would be comfortable to accept his own demise knowing that he had, in his lifetime, directed a nuclear strike on either Israel, or the US. Plenty of virgins in heaven for that !!!
June 23, 2025
These people, such as Lord Harmer- 2TK’s long standing KC buddy and international law fan, are (/lefties ed)who operate in far left Chambers. The reality of the regime in Iran was put very well recently when several journalists with relatives who were completely anti semitic pointed out that the Islamic extremists believe that it is an honour to die when killing the infidel and that they might well use a nuclear bomb and do not fear the mutually assured destruction that has previously prevented armaggedon.
Lord Harmer should be told to stick his international law where he can’t read it.
Well done Trump. If they carry on trying to build the bomb, at least they will be doing it above ground. If they retaliate, they have no air defence and will find the country grinding to a halt and no navy left to close the Gulf.
June 24, 2025
+1
June 23, 2025
I support his action but I was surprised that it was not more extensive?
More missile sites,the command centre and Khamehni’s H Q
June 23, 2025
I think the Americans might be hoping for the current Iranian regime to collapse before all that as it is loathed by millions of young / youngish Iranians who want freedom, democracy, higher standard of living, and the choice to choose Islam or not (like in Turkey).
June 23, 2025
I think we need to remind ourselves that President Trump did not bomb Iran. He bombed Iran’s nuclear capabilities which is an entirely different concern.
June 23, 2025
Kathy
Totally agree! It’s an excellent point!
June 23, 2025
Thank you, Sharon!
June 23, 2025
@ Kathy
It’s an excellent point! Totally agree!
June 23, 2025
Well it is surely better to stop Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, as they are clearly trying very hard to do. Let us hope it works without too many innocent people being killed or injured in the process.
June 23, 2025
Spot on
June 23, 2025
Would those innocent people please grow a backbone and oust their vile leaders, rather than run away to the west?
June 24, 2025
Dave
Whilst I agree, it is far easier said than done.
They rule by threat, fear, torture and death, not just of individuals but of entire families.
June 24, 2025
Agree but so far there is no indication of any regime change – looks like yet another Iraq all over again in terms of any public uprising.
June 23, 2025
Good morning.
If Iran’s nuclear program was for peaceful purposes, then why build most of it underground in hardened shelters ?
Other than that, personally, I don’t really care. I would like to think that, should a nuclear armed state threaten the Realm, we would not hesitate to use them in our defence.
That’s the problem. They worry about words whereas, those in the rest of the world only judge people by their deeds. Which, when you think about it, is one of the reasons the West is failing.
June 23, 2025
A nuclear exchange is the end of the world. Islam welcomes the end of the world because then they receive their reward in the next world.
We have never had an entity which WANTS TO DESTROY THE WORLD armed with the means to do so.
June 23, 2025
Nothing lasts forever. Just ask the Dinosaurs.
June 24, 2025
The dinosaurs did not destroy themselves.
June 23, 2025
‘Islam welcomes the end of the world because then they receive their reward in the next world’
– Probably less than 0.1% of Muslims believe this!
Most muslims are nominal anyway. And the rest believe that the way to Heaven is similar to Christians: you have to be good to others etc.
If you look at the Muslims in the Middle Ages from Seville to Baghdad, then they were a relatively, pretty civilised bunch!
June 24, 2025
Ah! They are NOT Mozlems, they are Christians!
Well that’s OK then.
June 25, 2025
Net zero fanatics surely rank equally.
June 23, 2025
The answer will depend on who you are and where you live. Those threatened by Iran (Israelis explicitly threatened with extinction) will say yes. Those who believe Iran was close to achieving a warhead (because they had enriched uranium far beyond the needs of civil applications and buried its operations deep underground) will say yes. Those who think everything must be done to prevent nuclear proliferation will say yes. On the other hand, as has been said, possession of a nuclear warhead, and the means to deliver it, is a great equalizer in international relations and offers protection to a small state. If you belong to this school you say no. Nuclear proliferation is OK because it offers smaller states protection by offering deterrence against attack by larger states.
On balance I think yes. But whether Iran was as close to making a nuclear warhead, as is said, or whether it has stored enriched uranium elsewhere in secret locations are unknowns. It might have been too late. Iran might redouble its efforts, with help from its nuclear capable friends, to complete its own warhead. Only time will tell.
June 23, 2025
Iran isn’t developing nuclear weapons for the purpose of defence. it wants them to attack Israel and the regime will be happy to sacrifice themselves and the people of Iran to that end.
Israel isn’t bullying anyone with their nuclear weapons, unlike Russia. If they do indeed have them, they are only in reserve as reprisal for anyone who threatens them with the same.
June 23, 2025
Putin / Russia is insane compared to Israel / Iran / USA
Putin seriously embodies the three dark triads (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy).
June 24, 2025
You are looking in the mirror.
June 23, 2025
I think we should do the comparative. Either the US destroys Iran’s nuclear capability and Israel survives or it pretends Iran’s nuclear intention is benign and Israel is eliminated. For that reason alone I believe the US was right to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The US’ strength and capability also fosters peace globally as it is a deterrent. The West as a whole needs to improve its strength and capability to help with that deterrence.
June 23, 2025
I truly believe he was absolutely right. The world is a much safer place now that there is no longer the threat of Iran’s nuclear bombs. America has to be congratulated on such an amazing operation!
June 23, 2025
CA, ++++++
June 23, 2025
‘ Some Maga supporters think this is a needless foreign diversion from the domestic agenda.’
It is certainly not ‘America First -no forever wars’. It is a surprise attack on a nation which was not at war with the USA. Some argue it was against the constitution.
Israel is the monkey on America’s back. It only benefits the hardline Israeli warmongers and their politicians who are in personal difficulty. The arms industry also boost demand for their product.
Starmer goes along with it for fear of upsetting Trump and the possibility of ingratiating himself in the manner of Tony Blair.
June 23, 2025
-99 – Nonsense…
Iran, a terrorist regime ignored all concerns to build up their ability to wipe Israel off the map.
The action by the USA helps to maintain peace.
June 24, 2025
“attack on a nation which was not at war with the USA.”
That does not make it illegal. International law enables coalitions of the willing, of which NATO is the foremost example. Coalitions of the willing have been around for centuries, eg in defeating Napoleon. the law permits pre-emptive military action. The US attack was not – as is widely said – an attack on Iran but a pre-emptive attack in support of israel’s pre-emptive attacks on Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities. Civilians were not attacked unlike the Islamist attacks which are all targeted on civilians in Israel. In another sense it was also support of a country that has been under attack by Iran for decades (the argument put by Natasha Hausdorff). Either way the Israeli and US attacks are perfectly legal.
June 23, 2025
Good Morning
I agree with Trump’s targeted action to remove or reduce the nuclear threat
I hope this brings new opportunities for Iran to become a safe and free country
June 23, 2025
I’m with the Maga sceptics.
In March Tulsi Gabbard said the Iranians didn’t have a nuclear weapons programme. The IAEA seemed pretty satisfied, too. I think the threat was not imminent. I also think “the threat” has been deliberately overplayed by Israel (which wants to remain the only regional power with nukes) and the US neocons/military-industrial complex (who want “forever wars”).
I see Trump having been misled and played by these forces and in particular by Bibi, who urgently needs to avoid facing trial for corruption charges.
Public perception in the west has long been manipulated: the “mad mullahs”. Much like Ghadafi, Saddam and Putin, the “mad” slur is unwarranted. Also it appears the clerics’ powers are more limited in Iran than portrayed, especially in strategic and military matters. For decades the Iranians have carefully avoided giving their enemies enough provocation to flatten the country.
Iran’s past behaviour is understandable. Using proxies in a warring zone away from the homeland allowed the regional hostilities to play out at a distance. Israel is expansionist, nuclear-armed (it can’t be destroyed) and ruthless, so containment at arm’s length made sense. It worked, but then Iran let Syria fall (to be carved up by the US, Israel and Turkey), allowing its enemies to focus solely on the Iranian homeland.
Israel swiftly bombed Iran, Trump was cajoled out of peace negotiations and into war. The big question is “what next?”. Grok AI believes Iran will rush to produce a nuke, while regional instability gets worse and trade flows are disrupted. I see more waves of Iranians fleeing to the west, and an increase in terrorist threat here, plus misery from increased oil prices.
June 23, 2025
W,
‘ Trump was cajoled out of peace negotiations and into war.’
Trump has successfully stood for office, twice, by adopting paleoconservative policies, bringing them inside the Overton window and using them in speeches that are not too cerebral.
However, once in office things change. The deal maker emerges. He falls out with people. That wall does not get built. Jobs are not brought back to the USA.
We will see how he gets now. John Bolton must be pleased though.
June 23, 2025
Israel attacked Iran, is still bombing Lebanon and Yemen, and none of these in a targeted fashion. It has levelled and is still bombing the Gaxa strip. I do have sympathy, these are unpleasant neighbours. But they are firing at will.
Iran has not attacked the US but has been attacked by it. The US bombing is a betrayal of MAGA, at least it is targeted.
Starmer and Macron were suprisingly correct in points raised to Trump. There is a huge collateral risk to UK and France if they participate with attacking Iran, especially unprovoked. There are 40,000 radical Islanists on terror watchlists in the UK. We can’t even defend one of our key airbase. Trouble brews I’m afraid.
June 23, 2025
H,
Yes, Israel and USA gaslight us to pretend they are the victims rather than the aggressors.
Iran’s nuclear developments are given as a reason – but not a word about Israel’s nuclear weapons and refusal to cooperate on inspections or international agreements.
Israel has been a problem since it was first set up.
It was not right to gift a former colony to others, at the expense of the native population. Especially when the others had secret plans to expel the natives and increase the territory of land they were foolishly given.
June 24, 2025
“and none of these in a targeted fashion”
Utter drivel.
June 24, 2025
Then the Establishment will reap what it has sowed for the past 30 or so years -particularly the last 3. And unfortunately, British citizens will die. Their grieving families will know who to blame for importing the terrorists.
June 23, 2025
If it wasn’t for the clerics, Iran would have no interest in attacking Israel themselves and via their proxies. It’s their religious zeal that inspires them in their hostility to a country that’s not even their neighbour and has no interest in their land.
June 23, 2025
Weird logic to describe the various agressive terrorist organisations funded by Iran as having a policy of “containment”
They all have a stated policy of removing Israel and all it’s Jewish population by force.
Tens of thousands of rockets fired by them into Israel and numerous deadly terrorist attacks on Isreal citizens isn’t what most would call containment Westerner.
June 24, 2025
You seem to have missed the IAEA report just before the Israeli action, that Iran has the material and is on the point of making several nuclear warheads, and is in breach of its obligations under the NPT.
June 23, 2025
For decades, the Ayatollah regime has organised annual mass demonstrations throughout Iran on what they call “Jerusalem Day”. Participants burn Israeli and American flags and chant “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” and on occasion, “Death to Britain”
International law permits countries to defend themselves from threats of this sort. Had the Ayatollahs achieved their goal of building a nuclear bomb, one of the hypersonic ballistic missiles currently being fired at Tel Aviv or Haifa would be loaded with one. Or, an innocuous-looking cargo ship would be sailed into New York harbour and a bigger nuclear bomb detonated in a “martyrdom operation”. Or London. Or San Franciso. Nuclear blackmail and ultimata would be next
Iran has organised, armed and funded numerous Shia terrorist groups throughout the Middle East, including the Houthis, Hamas, Hezbollah and others in Iraq. All are dedicated to the destruction of Israel.
I, for one, slept better last night after the Americans bombed their nuclear sites.
June 24, 2025
International law enables countries to take pre-emptive action by force. there is no legal case against Israel or the US.
June 23, 2025
Yes, Trump was absolutely right. If people are afraid of what Iran might do without nuclear weapons, imagine how much worse Iran would be with nuclear weapons. Furthermore it is idiotic to negotiate with liars who won’t keep to their agreements.
June 23, 2025
Have you looked at the list of so called crimes punishable by beheading in Iran.They are simply aggressive warmongers and all other eastern countries here are in the waiting for a similar regime to gain power whilst we in what was our country accept the ridiculous rituals and mysogenistic slant on life.Make no mistake ,this terrorist country is doing the dirty work in readiness for us westerners to be wiped out .
June 23, 2025
I interpreted “no more foreign wars” to mean that American troops would not be invading other countries (ie boots on the ground) as it had in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Israel is an American ally, involved in a war with a local regime and its proxies whose stated aim is its complete obliteration. If Iran is allowed to develop a nuclear arsenal I don’t doubt that would be the outcome.
So I believe Trump’s limited action, in destroying the nuclear infrastructure was proportionate and justified.
I would not support an invasion (ie boots on the ground).
June 23, 2025
I believe that many Middle East states do not support the Iran regime and will welcome the American action. The alternative may have been a nuclear war in the region.
June 25, 2025
The lack of public criticism from them is a silent endorsement. The main criticism has been from Putin.
June 23, 2025
Let us hope that the Bunker Busters worked.
June 25, 2025
I suspect that even if they didn’t achieve the full destruction of the facilities they have been softened up so a further attack would do more serious damage. The Iranians will be very aware of that. Of some concern is the part enriched uranium said to have been dispersed to locations unknown.
The raid demonstrated capability to deliver.
June 23, 2025
One and out is OK.
The Europeans think everything is illegal until they need to do something.
Religious fanatics should be treated differently to others because they are not rational.
If the US has to go back then President Trump has a problem
June 23, 2025
Sir John. The strike on Iran’s nuclear development capacity and capability is many years too late. The damage has already been done. Destroying the stables may look good to the casual observer but the horse has already bolted.
Where is the already enriched Uranium produced at the sites over the many years the EU facilitated that enrichment, via lame so called agreements. The work in Iran to enrich uranium was driven by German engineering and Siemens controllers?
June 23, 2025
If Iran’s declared intent is to destroy all Israelis, that it equivalent to a threat of murder. Protecting people from such a threat is a better thing to do than allow it to happen. Enabling a country the ability to activate their threat by ignoring their production of a bomb as the means to do it would be reckless. Trump claims to have eliminated much of Iran’s ability to perform widespread evil and may force Iran to pursue a life nearer to peaceful co-existence. Peace is understanding, and far better than enmity.
June 23, 2025
All of the trouble with Iran today stems from the presence of Israel in the region and its treatment of the palestinian people, however it wasn’t always like that, in 1953 soon after President Eisenhower was elected he put in train the US/ Anglo coup led by the CIA that ousted the legitimate government of Tehran and there followed the ’79 revolution. the US then backed Iraq to attack Iran bringing about ten years of War – millions died and it was all about western hegemony and oil. So the iranians are right to want to be able to defend themselves even if it means by nuclear means – consider: we don’t see many western countries messing with North Korea even though they would wish.
Lastly it should be pointed that Iran is part of the NPT and JCPOA whereas Israel who has nukes is party to neither and likewise Trump pulled the US out of the JCPOA in 2018 – hardly countries to be looking to for example.
June 23, 2025
Iran is an expansionist state that actively engages in international terrorism. Their stated intent is genocide with eradication of Israel and the Jews so are likely to use any nukes or WMDs against any country it feels hinders it’s cause.
Was Trump right to bomb the facilities? – Yes
Did the US go far enough? – No
As for the lawyers – they are entitled to an opinion but left unchallenged by the executive government and combined with past behaviours the strong message is that we cannot trust this government to defend the UK’s interest or citizens.
I would not ban these lawyers and fellow travellers speaking out though – always so much easier if the enemy identifies itself
June 23, 2025
Yes, he was right. Iran has spewed vitriol against both Israel and America for as long as I can remember. It had threatened to wipe Israel off the map – and it was close to obtaining the means to do. The response by Israel and America is clearly ‘pre-emptive self-defence’. The issue to excite the ‘op-law’ lawyers now is: would an insertion of a regime-change objective into the campaign plan be legal? I’d argue that that’s a grey area – but I’d still do it, because the Iranian regime has no legitimacy. So, keep on bombing, targeting the theocracy, the IRGC, the Intelligence services, and the religious police. Make Iran Safe For Iranian Schoolgrls Again.
June 23, 2025
Don’t you just love these countries/vacillating liberal elites who are worried about the rule of law (their interpretation) as an excuse to take no action when Iran has consistently broken/ignored their treaty obligations known as, err, international law.
Not forgetting their proxies waging was across the Middle East. And finally their leader continues Khomeini’s regime of Death to Israel. Death to America. Death to Britain.
Who knows the outcome but the Maga doubters (media creation?) are vastly outnumbered by the Jewish vote who would not sit idly buy as Israel was crushed.
Brave action by Trump. As an aside demonstrated the irrelevance of European leaders.
June 23, 2025
You made a very unpleasant comment about me yesterday, with no knowledge of my family / personal circumstances.
I HAVE walked a mile in those shoes and I therefore resent the comment that I lack humanity.
June 23, 2025
Yes it was the right action to take. Lets not forget that the bombing was not undertaken on a whim but based both on the input from Israeli intelligence and the intransigence of Iran – the latter being given every opportunity to get round the table. So far there seems little activity inside Iran to bring about political change. Seems the West can win a “war” but the people appear to lack the ability or willingness to rise up. We have been here before.
June 23, 2025
I listened to the Moral Maze on BBC R4 which featured Sir Richard Dalton and Mary Kaldor as well as Jake Simmons and Prof Ali Ansari. It was a well balanced debate for the BBC.
I was surprised at the opinions of Richard Dalton and the naivety of Mary Kaldor. If Dalton reflects mainstream Foreign Office advice it is no wonder Iran has been able to continue nuclear weapons development with impunity.
June 23, 2025
To start, it wasn’t illegal unless you don’t believe in Democracy. Laws, real Laws, the type we live by, require the democratic process first to create them, then be empowered to amend and repeal them. Their existence should be via the will of the people through elected representative. Anything else as proven puts the wrong people in charge.
Whether Trump was right or wrong that is another question. Was he doing a Tony Blair just inventing ‘weapons of mass destruction’ and like Blair just to appease his own ego? Or was there a legitimate concern? It will take history for the real story to emerge.
If there was real international Law as these naysayers suggest, why haven’t they hauled Blair before these bogus international courts and charged him on everything from genocide, to aggression and so on. It was a wreaking ball of a man(TB), that sort destruction of society to become its ruler.
June 23, 2025
Iran is a theocracy committed to the destruction of Israel and its Jewish population. Wait-and-see is not a valid policy. Once they have a nuclear bomb, Iran would almost certainly use it, as the destruction and apocalypse fulfils the mullahs’ vision of the end times. Trump was right to take out their manufacturing facilities.
June 23, 2025
Correct
June 23, 2025
Trump’s actions against Iran were vital to bring us peace from a terrorist country.
Far from bringing on WW3 it removed that threat and with it the potential for a regime rich in money but with a deficit of morals to wage constant war against the West and Israel in the form of more terrorism.
There is a little less evil in the world now.
June 23, 2025
“The IAEA seemed pretty satisfied too” that Iran didn’t have a nuclear weapons programme? Uh ?
Here’s what the IEEA said in their report on June 9th:
“Iran can convert its current stock of 60 percent enriched uranium into 233 kg of WGU in three weeks at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), enough for 9 nuclear weapons, taken as 25 kg of weapon-grade uranium (WGU) per weapon.”
Suggest you do better research before posting pro-Iranian propaganda.
For myself I’m waiting for our leader (Lord Hermer) to pronounce on this matter.
June 23, 2025
Trump was 100% correct in his actions.
2TK living up to his moniker by not disapproving of the strikes but at the same time calling for de-escalation presumably to ensure that the current regime in Iran stays intact with their same extreme attitudes.
June 23, 2025
Who is that has given these mad international law devotes the power and the voice to even quote that there is something called international law. There are agreements between parties involved as a means of mutual respect but there is no real international Law.
Take Mauritius is was a judge that according to her own countries Laws has to operate for and on behalf of China first (not the UN) through fear of death, as that is the punishment for transgressions against the State, that then deemed the Chagos Islands should be given to people that have no connection with the islands. Yet the islands in the South China sea, by the same but different section of this faux legal outfit have told China they can’t have but the keep taking them. Question is Chagos really China’s twist to grabbing Islands that have nothing to do with them. That’s before we get to the Republic of China (Formosa/Taiwan) whose lands were taken from them by the same Communist revolutionaries that are of the same ilk trying to grab the UK.
So, in its purest terms who gives anyone the right to say that nations can’t have Nuclear Bombs. There was no Law that stopped Russia, China, France, India, Pakistan and Israel acquiring the ‘bomb’. So human survival logic is that if you have a neighbour that due to an unforeseen future has the ‘bomb’ prudence say you should also have one to protect your nation.
There is no World Government those that think there is should come down off their ‘high horse’ all we have is a bunch of egos getting ahead of themselves that personally want to rule, but not by consent, but in their own very personal image.
June 23, 2025
Well put, I.B.
‘International Law’ is pretentious twaddle.
June 23, 2025
Kathy has made the most important point.Nuclear activity doesn’t discriminate between civilians and armaments.The history of death being the way to Allah is no justification for destruction of life on earth.Immigrants in the UK say that they should be allowed to roam free as no one owns the land ,yet hearing the citizens who have been subject to bombings on the news sadly say that this is our land.
June 23, 2025
Iran has been a threat to peace and stability in that region for thirty years financing and supporting every terrorist group going, threatening the only western-orientated democracy in the region. They were clearly developing the ability to create a nuclear weapon and the strikes at that capacity were entirely right.
The sooner this awful misogynistic clerical government is gone and freedom restored to the Persian people the better, but that is different issue which forces within the country must address.
June 23, 2025
It would appear this action was at best well-timed delaying event. Will it stop Iran getting its hands on the ‘bomb’ it’s hard to see how without regime change.
We in the West, or those in our part of the West are impotent and with our own ‘Mad Mullers’ in power we need Iran as it is, supplying our vital to life oil and gas. As our Rulers have decreed using our own is a criminal offence.
June 23, 2025
To answer the specific question: I don’t know.
My very limited knowledge on Iran essentially comes from books and films, some books recently briefly prevented in the FT (16/06/2025). I read ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ by M. Satrapi, ‘All the Shah’s Men’ by S. Kinzer, ‘Iran: Empire of the Mind’ (2008) and ‘Revolutionary Iran’ (2013) both by M. Axworthy,
I watched ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’, ‘Three Faces’, ‘About Elly’, ‘The Wind will carry us’, ‘Taste of Cherry’, ‘A Separation’, all distinct but very interesting, TSotSF being the most recent.
Some years ago I was planning to go to Iran with a tour group, something impossible now.
Well, I might have to wait till MIGA has happened …
June 23, 2025
So despite reading several books and watching several films on Iran and no doubt reading newspapers and watching TV news programmes hefner, your considered opinion is….”I don’t know”
Well thanks for that.
June 23, 2025
Perhaps take a tour group to North Korea instead hefner.
You’d probably enjoy it just as much.
June 23, 2025
UK electricity charges – threatening industry and jobs. These are now expected to rise because we import rather than use our own as a result of the tensions elsewhere.
UK price per kWh 36.39p
Japan per kWh 17.46p
US per kWh 12.86p
Canada per kWh 10.87p
More than double the costs compared to our competing nation who don’t have Legislators fighting and criminalising their people.
This is a UK Government its Legislators (elected & unelected/unaccountable) responding to their duty of keeping the Nation safe & secure, resilient & self-reliant.
They like to fight and punish the people that would make us vibrant and dynamic. The like to encourage criminals, of which some will be terrorists to arrive in the country to be funded by the taxpayer. These are not asylum seekers as they are stealing places from real asylum seekers. They are not even immigrants as they are stealing places from those that seek and get formally approved. They are just criminals with out papers.
You have no ‘Human Rights’ if you are naturalised British, terrorist have secured the UK’s legal system to enhance the fight against the people
June 24, 2025
+1
June 23, 2025
He was right to bomb the Iranian nuclear site – it was vitally necessary, but possibly too late to be totally effective if the Iranians have managed to remove a lot of their enriched uranium beforehand.
Fussing academically about international law will not help anyone – the job needed to be done.
June 23, 2025
Donald Trump was absolutely correct to take this action.
The middle east will continue to fester but the sighs of relief from many neighbouring countries will be audible.
They might not take advantage but the lives of so many, young and old in the area, can now be enhanced, the standard of what can be achieved is there for all to see and to emulate.
There is a persistent cloud which I can not comprehend, it never goes away.
There is a people, peaceable and industrious, that so many wish to exterminate.
June 23, 2025
All recent US presidents inc Obama and Biden have said Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. Despite (because of?) 4 years of Biden with sanctions lifted, appeasement of terrorists and dictators, Iran used that time relentlessly to reach the threshold of nuclear capability and to fund horrendous terrorism of which Oct 7 was the worst example. So the choice was either let Iran get nuclear weapons or stop it. ‘Restraint’ as urged by Keir Starmer won’t do the trick. Neither apparently will ‘diplomacy’ as urged by the UN. So it was stop it militarily or learn to live with it.
June 23, 2025
Iran in possession of a military nuclear capability would introduce exceptional risks for the world community. Now, we are assured, it has no capability and of course may not ever have had such. If the price of that assurance is the Trump strike, limited and specific as it was, it seems a price well worth paying.
The preoccupation by some Europeans with international law typically overlooks that it is constantly evolving in response to political, economic, and social dynamics. (The pioneering work by Rosalyn Higgins, “The Development of International Law Through the Political Organs of the United Nations” from 1963 showed this.) Just as President Reagan’s 1986 bombing of Libya likely illustrated, there was a gap in international law and President Trump’s action may well go some way to filling it.
I hope the people of Iran can enjoy a brighter future than their present.
June 23, 2025
I think Trump was right, Iran is a terrorist state and finances Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. Iran’s government is dedicated to the destruction of Israel and Jews worldwide. The best answer is for the people of Iran to rise up and kick out the Mullahs, whose mindset is stuck in the 7th and 8th centuries.
You cannot negotiate with religious fanatics whose aim is to kill you.
My only concern is whether a one-off attack by the USA is enough.
Starmer and Lammy reveal their weakness by focusing on de-escalation and negotiations. As we have seen with Chagos, the EU and Gibraltar, both are superb negotiators!!!! They would probably end up giving Iran a nuclear weapon.
June 23, 2025
We certainly live in a world which is full of two kinds of political leaders. Those that are highly testosteroned and aggressive, constantly posturing, and threatening the status quo. The others are simpering, wet and ineffectual men who toe the line of what they think is the fashionable narrative but are not taken seriously on the world stage. This is the bizarre paradox. If politics was solely populated by the grey men, the world would be a better, less violent place. However, when the playground bullies emerge, the grey men cower, as they are ill equipped to deal with the bullies. Trump is their super hero – Captain America. His decisiveness, albeit often very unsubtle in its delivery, may or may not win the day. It does seem like a spin of the wheel marginally tilted in favour of Iranian capitulation rather than retaliation. As the “Israel’s right to defend itself” narrative wears thin post the brutal bombardment of Gaza, Netanyahu has seized the initiative to get Israel back in the side of good versus of evil, and the US appear to have given him this get out of jail card.
June 23, 2025
Regrettably, Iran will not behave in a friendly way to Western countries or Sunni Arab states or Israel under its current leadership. Since 1979 they have supported terrorism in the region and in Europe. Now that Israel has weakened Iranian military air power it made sense to cut off the late stage nuclear weapon development before this too became a weapon of coercion and even terrorism. I do not know if it will help to reduce/eliminate Hamas in Gaza. If it does then a coordinated effort to recover humanity in Gaza will be needed.
June 23, 2025
Actually, the issue is the Islamic invasion of the West and the rest of the non-Islamic world, ordained by Islamic law. Presently as you perhaps know, most western politicians are allowing and encouraging this and western populations are having their countries taken from them.
June 23, 2025
Iago
I agree with your comment…. and often wonder if some of these boat people are similar to sleeper cells, waiting for the call to arms.
It has been over stated quite clearly, that once Israel and the Jews are gone, all the other non Muslims are next!
So, I think Trump has done the right thing!
June 24, 2025
Bulls-eye. That’s what the European political class are terrified of. So they keep feeding the crocodiles.
June 23, 2025
We can see that 2TK is paying mere lip service to supporting the US.
He’s so scared of losing his Muslim voters that he cannot openly support the attack on Iran.
The last think he wants is to have to deal with muslim unrest in Labour seats.
For the record, the Israelis and the US have done exactly what has been needed for the last decade or more.
If anything, they have been too restrained. If the Iranians are stupid enough to respond militarily, the US and Israel need to retaliate with overwhelming force. Iran has no air force left, so take out the Iranian Guards, destroy their ships, bases and much else besides. I would also go for the rest of the leadership – they have been warned, so an attack on the so-called “Supreme Leader” would be entirely justified.
This is a real opportunity to help create the conditions for an internal secular take over in Iran.
June 23, 2025
This is a matter for the U.S.
June 23, 2025
It’s pointless arguing about the legality of an action. Especially when that action concerns the safety and security of a Nation. Who’s going to really punish an offender when for instance, they are a nuclear power? Russia invaded Ukraine in an illegal act, yet I see no one “punishing” them for doing so. So, it’s time we ignored these superfluous claims, as none of them can ever be enforced apart from spurious embargoes that seem easily circumvented.
June 23, 2025
PS Why would any state enrich uranium to 60% way above what is required for a nuclear power station to produce electricity.
And why hide some of it deep inside a mountain?
I think you know why Westerner
June 23, 2025
Both Israel and America have breached International Law by attacking Iran whilst negotiations were ongoing! In spite of being elected on a ‘No War’ platform regrettably, Trump has reversed course further destabilising the Middle East. Is he doing Netanyahu’s bidding or is this part of a grand plan to deflect attention away from the human catastrophe taking place in Gaza? Either way his pre-election claims now ring hollow and this applies equally to Ukraine and Gaza. How can these attacks on Iran be considered ‘legal’ yet Russia’s Special Military Operation in 2022 is roundly condemned as illegal’? US blatant hypocrisy is vividly exposed again!
June 23, 2025
MS
Tell us what International Law stops you from reducing the risk from a nearby nation who has a clearly stated objective to obliterate your country.
Iran has been a rogue nation for many years.
Exporting their brand of evil all over the world in defiance of International Law and crushing opposition inside their own nation.
Ukraine were invaded.
Your simile is bizarre
June 27, 2025
1980-1988 Iraq-Iran war with Iraq (and Saddam Hussein) supported by most of the West … before Iraq was said to have WMDs and needed to be obliterated.
See any similes or differences.
Just asking.
June 23, 2025
Who elected those international law judges, and how can we remove them?
There is no such thing as international law, just international legal opinion.
June 23, 2025
It’s like there is no order left in the world anymore and ‘might is right’ – people including political leaders are cowed afraid to lift their heads to speak instead they repeat the well worn clichéd responses of condemnation against the smaller party – the smaller party is the one alway’s at fault and with no fact checking or moderation Trumps fake news rules –
We know who the bully is.
June 23, 2025
I think everybody is just airing there frustation in public, whether we have seen the peak of this or not is another matter, it will end with talks maybe. The damage so far has been light on both sides, not many dead so far and I feel a good deal can be made with more effort, maybe the meeting should be held at UN HQ.
June 23, 2025
Trump was correct to strike ……as a result of decades of european muslin appeasement, allowing what are dictatorships to threaten, directly & indirectly, democratic states
June 23, 2025
Your blog is a true hidden gem on the internet. Your thoughtful analysis and engaging writing style set you apart from the crowd. Keep up the excellent work!
June 23, 2025
+1
June 23, 2025
‘Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep’ Psalm 121:4
June 23, 2025
In instances like this, future geo-political outcomes are almost limitless – like a game of chess between Gary Kasparov and Bobby Fischer.
Look at how wrong USA got it wrong over Iraq and Afghan (and that was pretty easy to work out even before the war began – compared to Iran situation today). Look at 18 year-old, peasant woman, Joan of Arc played key role in booting the enemy out of France. Way against the odds. Not many saw that coming.
PRAY for the best outcome.
June 24, 2025
The legality or otherwise doesn’t matter a jot as far as the Iranian regime is concerned. Hermer’s reported advice to the Government was obviously wrong and politically motivated as every officer in the armed forces knows. The post of AG is partly political. A cynic would say the AG’s role is to advise the government on what it can legally get away with in pursuit of its agenda. It does not have a moral role to advice how the law supports a moral case. Starmer’s gang has no desire to support Israel. It has moved military assets in the region not to support Israel but to defend Brits and British interests in the event of an Iranian attack on them. That is all. Any statement it makes in support of Israel is in effect forced on it by its embarrassment at being on the side of Iran. Starmer’s Gang is making UK a pariah state. Trump no longer consults UK and merely informs it and this, only when necessary. We should not be surprised. Starmer’s Gang is an international embarrassment.
The irony is that Starmer’s Gang advocated a coalition of the willing to support Ukraine against Russia. What is different about israel? Nothing legally. But Israel is Jewish and Iran is Islamic, which Starmer’s Gang has made a protected religion.
June 24, 2025
I think Trump has done us all a favour by attacking Iran’s nuclear capability. Good on you, Mr. President!
June 24, 2025
Agree but its not just the possibility of nuclear weapons Iran also has a track record or promoting treble
June 24, 2025
it should have been done years ago, also why did the USA let North Korea have them?
June 26, 2025
Suspect there are many subjective answers to your China question but objective reality is that China is a global economic powerhouse which is here to stay- so cooperation should be sought.
Ron
June 28, 2025
OF COURSE HE WAS RIGHT, IRAN IS A ROGUE STATE WHO FINANCES AND ARMS PROSCRIBED GROUPS OF TERRORISTS AND IF LEFT TO THEIR OWN DEVICES WOULD BLACKMAIL THE WESTERN WORLD.