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Source: The Guardian

The threat of war with Iran is terrifying and the behaviour of the US government risks making the danger real. Its categoric claim that Iran was responsible for last week’s attacks on the two tankers in the Straits of Hormuz has been challenged by the Japanese and the German governments. It has served only to make a dangerous situation more serious.

The context to this is Donald Trump’s scrapping of the nuclear deal with Iran last year, which blocked the way to normalising relations and immediately escalated tension. The accompanying sanctions have caused real economic damage and human suffering. In May the Trump administration turned the screw tighter by dropping exemptions for oil exports. These measures are part of the policy of regime change advocated by John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, Trump’s two senior foreign policy officials, both of whom have called for military attacks on Iran.

Rather than falling in line with the Trump administration’s dangerous brinkmanship, the British government should be calling for restraint and de-escalation and explicitly ruling out military options.
Mark Rylance Actor
Brian Eno Musician
Rowan Williams Former Archbishop of Canterbury
Miriam Margolyes Actor
Francesca Martinez Comedian and writer
Lindsey German Convenor, Stop the War Coalition
Murad Qureshi Chair, Stop the War Coalition
Kate Hudson General Secretary, CND
Bruce Kent Vice-president, CND
Marsha de Cordova MP
Emma Dent Coad MP
Imran Hussain MP
Grahame Morris MP
Ian Mearns MP
Kate Osamor MP
Laura Pidcock MP
Laura Smith MP
Mark Serwotka General secretary, PCS
Kevin Courtney General secretary, NEU
Andrew Murray Chief of staff, Unite
Abbas Edalat Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran
Mohammed Kozbar Muslim Association of Britain
Aaron Bastani Novara Media
Salma Yaqoob Campaigner
Yusuf (Cat Stevens) Musician
David Edgar Playwright
Ken Livingstone Former London mayor
Sami Ramadani Writer and academic
Peter Oborne Journalist
Steve Ashley Singer
Matthew Willgress Stand Up to Trump

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