UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has strongly responded to former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s criticism of Britain’s position on Iran. In an interview with Sky News, Cooper said it was vital to learn from the experience of the Iraq war. She rejected Blair’s view that the UK should have supported the United States’ stance on Iran from the outset.

Cooper stated that some in politics believe Britain should always align with the United States, while others think it should never do so again. She argued that neither extreme serves the UK’s national interest. Cooper emphasized that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s responsibility is to make decisions prioritizing British citizens’ interests.

When asked if she was implying that Blair had been a “poodle” of the United States, Cooper replied that the key issue was learning from the mistakes made during the Iraq war, adding that Starmer was trying to do exactly that.