David Lammy Refuses US Influence In Iran’s Leadership

David Lammy has refused to say he supports Donald Trump’s claim that the US should have a say in who leads Iran next.

Days after US-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, the US president insisted that he should be involved in choosing the Ayatollah’s successor.

He told POLITICO the US is going to “work with them to help them make the proper choice” because he wants to avoid appointing a new head of Iran “that’s going to lead to having to do this again in another 10 years.”

But the deputy prime minister did not endorse this thinking when speaking to BBC Radio 4′s Today programme.

Asked if he thought Trump should have a say in Iran’s future, Lammy – who is now the justice secretary – said: “The concerns that I expressed as foreign secretary was what might come after Ali Khamenei was no longer there.”

He continued. “This might ultimately be a matter for the Iranian people.

“As we have discussed, it is now for the US and Israel to set out their war aims as they set out this action principally.”

BBC presenter Anna Foster said: “You mean that’s not a choice Donald Trump should be involved in?”

The cabinet minister replied: “Clearly, regime change – I don’t think – has been succeeded from the air anywhere in the world.”

When asked yet again to answer the question, Lammy said: “I’m answering the question as best I can.”

“It’s a yes or no question though, isn’t it?” Foster insisted.

Lammy said the UK believes “diplomacy was taking its course”.

He added: “If you believe in democracy, and we and the US are democratic countries, and we believe it is for the Iranian people to choose who leads the country.”

Asked if that means not allowing Trump to decide, he paused before adding: “I think I’ve answered your question.”

Lammy was also asked when the war might end, but he just said: “It is for the United States and the Israelis to set out their own assessments and aims.

“My assessment is of course that we expect we are still days away from this war coming to an end at the moment.

“There is still quite a lot of capability in Iran at the moment.”

Asked if he was concerned there was not a clear goal by the US, Lammy said: “In a sense it’s right that you direct those questions at the United States and Israel.”

He pointed out that Starmer had told MPs on Monday that he was concerned about the legal basis of the war.

“It’s on that basis we have not been involved in the original offensive action, but we have been involved in defensive action,” the deputy prime minister said.

Asked if Starmer has told Trump he is concerned there is not a clear goal, Lammy said: “It would not be right and I think you know it would not be right for me to give you a detailed breakdown of the conversations that take place between the prime minister and the president.

“Or indeed the conversations between me and the vice president, that would not be right.”

When asked directly if he knew the answer, Lammy said: “You know that I know the answer because I am part of the National Security Council! But I’m not going to share that answer with you.”

Forster said again it was a pertinent question to ask because Trump has attacked Starmer in recent days, saying the prime minister is “not Winston Churchill”.

Lammy replied insisting that the UK and the US have the closest of intelligence relationships, and pointed out that there have been splits between the two countries amid wider wars in the past.