Reeves says Donald Trump’s Iran war is a mistake and has not made the world safer

Rachel Reeves has called the US-Israeli war against Iran a “mistake” that does not make the world a safer place as it escalates its offensive into the conflict.

Speaking at an event in Washington, the chancellor also argued that diplomatic talks aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons should be allowed to continue.

He said he was no fan of the Iranian regime, but added: “I’m not convinced we’re safer today than we were a few weeks ago.”

His comments came just a day after he described the war as “madness” and attacked Donald Trump for not having an exit plan.

Speaking at a CNBC event in the US capital, Ms Reeves said: “The question is not whether you like the Iranian regime – I certainly don’t like the Iranian regime – but how you achieve the change you want to achieve.”

He said Iran does not currently have nuclear weapons and that the best way to prevent the regime from acquiring nuclear weapons is diplomacy, not conflict.

He added at the event, which took place during the International Monetary Fund summit in Washington: “Diplomatic negotiations were happening before this. So if the aim is to start diplomatic negotiations now, they were already happening before the conflict started.”

He also told the White House: “We have never been clear about what the goals of this conflict are.”

He warned that it is important to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which is vital for the world’s oil supply, to reduce energy prices.

He added: “It was clear at the beginning of this conflict, and that’s what I mean by being clear about what the objectives of this conflict are.”

But he insisted Britain and the US had a “long, enduring and enduring” relationship and claimed his friends were allowed to disagree.

The two men continued to be at loggerheads as Keir Starmer earlier insisted he would “not give in” to Trump’s threats to disrupt a landmark UK-US trade deal. war against Iran intensified.

Who is Mr. Trump? He remains angry over Britain’s refusal to join the conflict, He stated that the agreement “can always be changed” and that the “special relationship” between the two countries is in a “sad” situation.

In a joint statement with her fellow finance ministers, Ms Reeves warned against knee-jerk reactions to the cost of living crisis triggered by the war, but warned that the impact of the war on inflation and economic growth would continue even if there was an end to the war.

“We are determined to manage the economic response to and recovery from this crisis in a coordinated, responsible and responsive manner,” Ms Reeves and her counterparts from Ireland, Australia, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Spain, Norway, Poland and New Zealand said. they said.

They said the US-Israeli strikes and subsequent Iranian retaliation caused “unacceptable loss of life and serious disruptions to the global economy and financial markets” and welcomed the ceasefire.

The statement included the following: “We call for a rapid and lasting solution to the conflict through negotiation and a return to free and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, mitigating the impacts on growth, energy prices and living standards, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable.”

But they said a further escalation of the conflict would pose “serious additional risks to global energy security, supply chains, and economic and financial stability.”

“Even if there is a permanent solution to the conflict, the effects on growth, inflation and markets will continue,” they said.

Ms Reeves is set to meet US treasury secretary Scott Bessent, who said the “little bit of economic pain” caused by the war was worth it to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

The comments put him at odds with the chancellor, who has publicly expressed his anger and disappointment at the “stupidity” of America’s actions in the Middle East and the financial consequences it has caused.

Before he left for the US, the influential financial institution the IMF cut its forecast for Britain’s economic growth as a result of the conflict and warned that a worldwide recession could be a “close call” in a severe scenario.

He said the international outlook had “suddenly darkened” as a result of the war, which threatened to throw the global economy “off course” and could cause an energy crisis on an unprecedented scale.

But Ms Reeves predicted: “We beat forecasts for the UK economy last year. I’m confident we’ll beat them again.”

Woman Reeves is in Washington for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) spring meetings, where the economic effects of the Middle East crisis dominate.

This is breaking news, more to come…