Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion Siân Berry. Image by Kelly Hill, Wikimedia CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reacting to a report in the Guardian that Peter Mandelson was appointed as ambassador to the US despite failing the Government vetting process, Green Party MP Siân Berry said:
“Keir Starmer has lied and lied again over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson and he must resign. Starmer told Parliament ‘due process’ had been followed. This report makes clear that was untrue.
“He has tried to blame the vetting process, when in fact it is reported that a decision was taken to ignore a failed vetting. We need answers on what and when Starmer and David Lammy knew about this decision to overrule the vetting report.
“The precise reasons for Mandelson’s failure to pass this vetting must be made public, even though it was known to everyone that Mandelson was friends with the world’s most notorious paedophile prior to the appointment. It is outrageous that it is being reported that senior government officials are now considering whether to withhold from parliament documents that show Mandelson wasn’t given security clearance.
“No more buck passing, no more mysteriously vanishing mobile phones, the public need the truth.”
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Domestically produced tanks and missiles are put on display in Tehran, Iran on March 25, 2026. [Fatemeh Bahrami – Anadolu Agency.]
US intelligence suggests China may supply Iran with new air defense systems in the coming weeks, even as a delicate ceasefire with Washington remains in place, CNN reported on Saturday citing sources familiar with recent assessments, Anadolu reports.
The report claimed that Iran may be taking advantage of the ceasefire to restock certain weapons systems, with assistance from key international partners.
According to the report, there are signs that Beijing is attempting to channel these shipments through third countries to conceal their true origin.
The systems in question are shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles, known as MANPADS.
These weapons posed an asymmetric threat to low-flying US military aircraft during the five-week conflict and could do so again if the ceasefire collapses.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington said: “China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict; the information in question is untrue.”
“As a responsible major country, China consistently fulfills its international obligations. We urge the US side to refrain from making baseless allegations, maliciously drawing connections, and engaging in sensationalism; we hope that relevant parties will do more to help de-escalate tensions.”
A two-week ceasefire took effect on Wednesday, after weeks of fighting since Feb. 28, when the US and Israel initiated war on Iran.
Nearly 3,000 Iranians have been killed according to the country’s authorities, while the conflict also left at least 13 US servicemen dead and dozens of others wounded, and disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil shipping.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer boards a plane at the airport in Doha, Qatar, following his visit to the Gulf region, April 10, 2026
… KEIR STARMER’S claims that he’s “fed up” of Donald Trump’s wars ramping up the cost of living ring hollow until he stops the US using British military bases and arming Israel, anti-war campaigners said yesterday.
The Prime Minister compared the US leader with Russian President Vladimir Putin as he expressed frustration over skyrocketing global oil prices following Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for US-Israeli bombings.
“I’m fed up with the fact that families across the country see their bills go up and down on energy, businesses’ bills go up and down on energy, because of the actions of Putin or Trump,” he told ITV’s Talking Politics Podcast.
A spokeswoman for Stop the War Coalition told the Morning Star: “Keir Starmer continues in his cowardly appeasement of Donald Trump, even in his failure to stand up for working people as the economic crisis caused by the US’s illegal war on Iran hits home.
“He may be ‘fed up’ but he remains complicit until he stops allowing US planes to use British bases and stops arming Israel.”
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Keir Starmer explains that UK is defensively bombing Iraq in support of Israel’s genocidal expansionism. He explains that while his bombs still kill people that they are especially called defensive for the gullible and to be harder to convict of war crimes.Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
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A view of a banner featuring Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as the attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran continue on March 14, 2026. [Fatemeh Bahrami – Anadolu Agency]
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei said in a message Thursday that the management of the Strait of Hormuz will “certainly enter a new phase,” while vowing that Tehran will demand compensation for all war-related damages, Anadolu reports.
The message, released by his office on the 40th day since the killing of his father, former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, described his death as a “heavy and historic blow” for the Iranian nation, and one of the most painful moments in its recent history.
It portrayed the current phase as a continuation of his path and legacy.
Strait of Hormuz
Khamenei said Iran will move toward a new strategic phase with the Strait of Hormuz.
“The management of the Strait of Hormuz will certainly enter a new phase,” he said, without elaborating.
Compensation, accountability
Khamenei stressed that Iran will pursue legal and material accountability for damages.
“We will certainly not leave the criminal aggressors who attacked our country unpunished,” he said.
He added that Iran will “demand compensation for all damages, as well as the blood of the martyrs and the wounded.”
The remarks come as Iran prepares to negotiate with the United States in Pakistan, expected to begin Saturday under Pakistan’s mediation and continue for up to two weeks.
Iran has said the talks aim to finalize details of a potential agreement, emphasizing that it does not signify the end of the conflict.
Khamenei also warned that Iran remains ready to respond to any renewed aggression.
“Our hands are on the trigger,” he said, adding that any mistake by adversaries would be met with a decisive response.
The region has been on alert since Israel and the US launched an offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, killing at least 3,000 people, including the former supreme leader.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure, and disrupting global markets and aviation.
US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire Thursday, saying Iran presented a “workable” 10-point proposal, while negotiations are expected to determine whether a longer-term agreement can be reached.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Teams conduct search and rescue operation following the simultaneous Israeli attacks in Beirut, Lebanon on April 8, 2026. [Houssam Shbaro – Anadolu Agency]
Israeli airstrikes killed 303 people and injured 1,150 others across Lebanon on Wednesday, the Lebanese Health Ministry said Thursday, Anadolu reports.
In a statement, the ministry said at least 110 children, women and elderly people were among those killed in Wednesday’s deadly strikes.
Efforts are still ongoing to recover the bodies of the victims from under the rubble in several locations, the statement said. The ministry said the fatalities have brought the overall death toll from Israeli attacks since March 2 to 1,888 people, while 6,092 others have been injured.
The Israeli army escalated airstrikes across Lebanon since Wednesday despite the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
While Pakistani mediators and Tehran said the ceasefire includes Lebanon, Washington and Tel Aviv denied that.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer boards a plane at the airport in Doha, Qatar, following his visit to the Gulf region, April 10, 2026
