Starmer's position on Iran pleases no one, but that is because there are no good options | Rafael Behr

"The US president doesn't see alliances as long-term relationships based on mutual advantage, but as rolling transactions on a mafia model. The boss offers protection in exchange for tribute and loyalty. This is a problem for all European democracies. For decades, their security has depended on a concept of western solidarity—institutions, values and laws—that Trump holds in contempt."

"For Britain, self-exiled from the European Union and acculturated to a special relationship with Washington, it is a crisis of geopolitical orientation. Keir Starmer's shifting position on US military action in Iran encapsulates the problem. At first, he withheld permission to use UK military bases, ostensibly on the grounds that there was no legal basis for war."

"Within days, Starmer changed his position. Tehran's scorched earth retaliations—firing missiles at US-aligned countries in the region—put British assets and civilians in jeopardy. To avert that hazard, RAF bases would be involved after all, but only in the interests of collective self-defence. British forces would not join offensive action."

Donald Trump's transactional approach to international alliances fundamentally differs from traditional Western concepts of mutual advantage and solidarity. Rather than viewing alliances as long-term relationships based on shared institutions and values, Trump operates on a mafia-style model where the dominant power offers protection in exchange for tribute and loyalty. This approach creates significant challenges for European democracies, particularly Britain, which has historically relied on Western solidarity for security. Britain's position is further complicated by its departure from the European Union and traditional dependence on a special relationship with the United States. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's shifting stance on Iran military action illustrates these tensions, as he initially withheld permission for UK military bases but later reversed course when regional threats escalated, attempting to balance domestic concerns with international pressures.

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