Iran
Sarah Pochin Excerpts(1 day, 14 hours ago)
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Yvette Cooper
The point my hon. Friend makes is one of the reasons why I highlighted in my statement that the work of our embassy is so important because it is also about the safety of British nationals, and that includes the safety of dual nationals. This is something that we take immensely seriously. It is why we support the continuing work of our embassy, and I pay tribute to the work that our embassy staff are doing to consider all these issues.
Sarah Pochin (Runcorn and Helsby) (Reform)
We join the Foreign Secretary in her support for the brave Iranian protesters standing up against this brutal regime. Will she confirm that if the United States does take targeted military action, she will join us in supporting it in that action?
Yvette Cooper
Obviously, it is for the US to set out its approach. I have set out the approach that we are taking here. I welcome the hon. Member’s condemnation of the brutality that we are seeing not just in Tehran but across Iran. I would just say that her party’s comments on this would have more credibility if its Members spoke with the same strength of feeling about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, especially given the close and disturbing links between Iran and Russia, which are one of the most troubling aspects of the Iranian regime. That is why we should stand firm on all these issues, and I am disappointed that she will not.
Middle East
Sarah Pochin Excerpts(6 months, 3 weeks ago)
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Mr Lammy
I think that the people of Britain are entitled to know that we were not involved in this action, and that we work for diplomacy and de-escalation. That is why I was sitting in the White House last week, it is why I was in Geneva on Friday, and it is why I was at a Cobra meeting and making a round of calls to allies and partners to de-escalate at this time yesterday.
Sarah Pochin (Runcorn and Helsby) (Reform)
Can the Foreign Secretary explain to the House whether the United States felt unable to use the Diego Garcia base and had to refuel three times, in a highly dangerous operation, because of the deal that the Government did with the Mauritians, who would then tell the Chinese, who would then tell the Iranians?
Mr Lammy
The hon. Lady has to get off social media, and she has to get some help. She is swallowing conspiracy theories that should not be repeated in this House.