UK sets up Brexit-style crisis team to deal with Iran conflict
611 Min Read
Keir Starmer is setting up a Brexit-style “Middle East response committee” to reshape how Britain handles the Iran conflict.
The prime minister is expected to chair the group for the first time on Tuesday, aiming to establish a central structure to coordinate both the UK’s domestic and international response, according to a government official speaking on condition of anonymity.
The committee will operate through two strands — one ministerial and another at official level — mirroring the cross-government groups used during the Covid-19 pandemic and in preparation for a no-deal Brexit, which were able to coordinate across overlapping departments.
Its initial focus will be medium-term scenario planning in the weeks ahead, beginning with efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Treasury officials are already preparing for a potential rise in the cost of living, while experts have warned of possible future jet fuel shortages.
Downing Street has yet to confirm the committee’s full membership, though further details are expected later on Tuesday. Meetings of the government’s emergency COBR committee will continue alongside this new structure.
Some officials have privately raised concerns about how heavily Starmer’s foreign policy approach depends on Jonathan Powell, who acts as both adviser and international negotiator on the prime minister’s behalf. One Whitehall source said there was a lack of clear coordination, with no single figure effectively aligning priorities or managing internal tensions.
