- Demonstrations called in London and at RAF Fairford
- British bases used in buildup to war and for so-called ‘defensive’ bombing
- Majority of British public oppose this illegal war
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament demands an end to the illegal bombing of Iran by the US and Israel and calls out the nuclear hypocrisy behind these attacks at upcoming demonstrations on Saturday, 7 March.
CND, Stop the War, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Muslim Association of Britain, Palestinian Forum in Britain and Friends of Al-Aqsa, will lead a national demonstration to the US Embassy in London. Assembly time is from 12 noon on Millbank, next to Victoria Tower Gardens, SW1P.
CND, Drone Wars, and the Oxfordshire Peace Campaign will hold an emergency demonstration on Saturday at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, GL7 4DL, to oppose the use of the air base by US long-range nuclear-capable bombers.
At the demonstrations, CND will highlight the nuclear hypocrisy driving these illegal attacks. Only last Friday, the day before the US and Israeli bombing commenced, Omani officials mediating between the US and Iran, made clear that Iran had agreed to zero uranium enrichment and to full inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency. This is the second time the US has attacked Iran during such negotiations, this time pursuing a disastrous military solution that has already escalated into a wider regional conflict.
Despite Donald Trump berating Keir Starmer for not fully joining in these attacks, British bases, including RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall, have facilitated the US military buildup over many weeks. Starmer has now allowed British bases to participate in so-called ‘defensive’ bombing operations of Iranian missile sites and is sending more air and naval forces to the region. This risks Britain being dragged into yet another illegal US-led war in the Middle East, which could potentially be even more devastating than the 2003 invasion of Iraq which displaced millions and killed hundreds of thousands.
Public support is against this disastrous military interventionism. Polling by YouGov found that most of the British public are opposed to attacks, with 49% opposing and just 28% supporting. Meanwhile in the US, several polls taken this week have found that almost two thirds of the public are opposed to Trumps’s war on Iran.
CND General Secretary Sophie Bolt said:
“These reckless, illegal attacks on Iran by the US and Israel are dragging the entire Middle East and beyond into a catastrophic war. Whilst Starmer has said he won’t allow British military to be engaged in an illegal war, it is British bases like RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall that have been central in the buildup to this aggression. Now British jets are protecting Israeli airspace and shooting down Iranian drones. We demand an end to the illegal bombing of Iran and an end to the escalation. International diplomacy and dialogue has never been more critical. Starmer needs to stand up to Trump and halt Britain’s active military support. He needs to shut down all these US bases that are putting Britain on the frontline.