Sir Simon Mayall has launched a blistering attack on the Prime Minister’s handling of the Middle East conflict, describing Keir Starmer’s approach as “appalling from start to finish”.
Speaking to GB News, the former Middle East adviser condemned Britain’s reluctance to engage while allies committed forces to the region.
“Sitting on the fence has done us no favours whatsoever,” he said, noting that Israel, the United States, and most Gulf states are now deeply involved in operations.
The former adviser highlighted that Canada and Australia had taken far more decisive stances, while RAF Akrotiri has faced strikes during the conflict.
“Sitting on the sideline has not been a very edifying sight for a major country like the United Kingdom,” Sir Simon stated, adding he was relieved Britain had finally increased its involvement.
Behind the scenes, Sir Simon explained, coalition forces are systematically dismantling the Iranian regime’s ability to wage war.
“The command and control of the IRGC, the besiege and the regime is being gradually whittled down,” he told GB News, suggesting Israeli forces are primarily responsible for this degradation, while American operations focus on eliminating missile launch sites.
Despite Tehran deploying vast quantities of drones and missiles with some tactical success, Sir Simon argued that these attacks are failing to shift the strategic balance.
Sir Simon Mayall has hit out at Keir Starmer’s approach to Iran, branding it ‘appalling’
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GB NEWS / PA
“The regime’s capacity to continue this is being eroded almost by the hour, I suspect,” he observed.
The former adviser noted that the true extent of damage to Iranian military infrastructure remains hidden from public view, with only Israeli and American intelligence services possessing full knowledge of the operation’s progress.
Sir Simon warned that major strikes against Iran would inevitably expose critical regional infrastructure to retaliation.
“The Strait of Hormuz, desalination plants, LNG and oil refineries would be very, very vulnerable,” he said, describing this reality as unavoidable once significant military action commenced.
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The former adviser assessed that Iranian command structures have now collapsed, with the regime launching attacks in an increasingly haphazard manner.
“Iran is striking out almost randomly now,” he observed, explaining that Tehran is targeting sites that have long featured on its military planning lists.
Sir Simon characterised the regime’s desperate actions as understandable given its circumstances, stating: “It’s understandable the regime and its death throes will go for this.”
The global economy and regional nations must simply absorb these blows, he concluded.
Sir Simon told GB News that the regime’s capacity to continue is ‘being eroded almost by the hour’
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GB NEWS
Sir Simon framed the current conflict as the resolution of a threat that has loomed over the Middle East since the Islamic revolution of 1979, compounded by Iran’s longstanding pursuit of nuclear weapons capability.
“This has been a sort of sword of Damocles hanging over the region,” he remarked.
On economic consequences, the former adviser offered some reassurance, noting that global oil markets currently have surplus capacity and reduced demand driven by recessionary conditions.
He expressed confidence that American forces and their Gulf partners possess the capability to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz when conditions allow.
However, Sir Simon cautioned that dramatic developments should be expected in the coming days as coalition operations continue wearing down Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal.