Julia Hartley-Brewer examines the fallout from the Iran conflict as Sir Keir Starmer comes under pressure over Britain’s response, the fraying US relationship and serious questions about UK military readiness. Speaking to former security minister Tom Tugendhat, Julia hears that while Britain is entitled to make its own decisions, Starmer has somehow alienated Washington, Tehran and his own backbenches all at once. Tugendhat says the US and Israel may have a lawful case for striking Iran, but warns the bigger issue is Britain’s failure to protect its own interests, with too few ships, too little kit and no clear sense of preparedness.

Israeli Foreign Ministry special envoy Fleur Hassan-Nahoum tells Julia that Israel and the wider region are paying a far higher price than rising fuel bills, with civilians repeatedly forced into shelters while Iranian missiles target Israel, the Gulf and beyond. She argues the Islamic Republic remains a threat not just to Israel but to the wider West, warning that Iran’s regime, the IRGC and its terror network have destabilised the Middle East for decades. The episode also looks at the appointment of a new supreme leader in Iran, the long-term aim of removing the regime’s military threat, and whether the Iranian people could eventually rise up against their rulers.

Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith rounds out the debate with a blunt warning that Britain has been caught flat-footed militarily and politically. He says the UK should already have had assets in the region, argues the failure to proscribe the IRGC is indefensible, and blames years of underinvestment in defence for leaving Britain exposed.

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