Iran and the Middle East

Lord Harper Excerpts

Monday 9th March 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

I am an archaeology graduate and I completely understand why the noble Earl asks that question. He is right to draw our attention to this. It is tragic that, alongside women and children, the cultural heritage in many conflict zones suffers. It becomes a target because adversaries understand just how fundamental many of these sites are to the identity of a particular population. So I thank the noble Earl for drawing attention to this.

[Lord Harper (Con)]

My Lords, can I press the Minister a little on her definition of “defensive operations”, given what the Deputy Prime Minister said at the weekend? Does “defensive operations” encompass using British weapons and bases proactively to take out Iranian missile-launching sites that could be used to target British military assets and British military personnel?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

I am sorry, but my noble friend the Minister for Defence was saying something while the noble Lord was speaking. I think he was trying to be helpful.