UK Deputy PM: It’s for the Iranian people to choose their leader

David Lammy, the United Kingdom’s Deputy Prime Minister, said it is up to “the Iranian people themselves” to choose their next leader, amid heightened regional tensions, Sky News reports.

Speaking to reporters, Lammy addressed questions about the influence of foreign powers on Iran’s leadership. “The challenge has always been that whilst Ali Khamenei may have gone, there are others who are pretty hard-line or could be worse in the end,” he said.

He added, “This will be for the Iranian people themselves when this intense period is over, unless there's any suggestion of putting boots on the ground, and I haven't heard that at this stage.”

Lammy also defended the UK government’s response to the ongoing conflict, including the deployment of the HMS Dragon warship. “I recognise that if you are in Cyprus, if you are in Bahrain, if you are in the UAE with missiles flying around with drones able to intercept airspace, of course this is febrile,” he said. “Of course this is tense. Of course this is stressful, I recognise that.”

When asked about reports of a bombing at a girls’ school in Iran that allegedly killed more than 160 children, Lammy declined to comment on the incident. “I don't know the veracity of that statement, and I haven't seen the intelligence, but it is absolutely for the Americans to comment on what has happened there,” he said.

By Vafa Guliyeva