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.
A view of the destruction after the Israeli military carried out airstrikes on Beirut, Lebanon on April 8, 2026. (Photo by Murat Åengül/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“The United States and all other countries need to cut off weapons to Israel immediately.”
Fresh demands for a total arms embargo against Israel emerged Wednesday as the country’s devastating onslaught in Lebanon—leveling apartment buildings and killing more than 250 people—threatened to derail tenuous progress toward a deal to end the US-Israeli war on Iran.
“The United States and all other countries need to cut off weapons to Israel immediately,” said Dylan Williams, vice president for government affairs at the US-based Center for International Policy. “Full arms embargo.”
Avi Lewis, leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, wrote on social media that “Canada must bring sanctions against Israel, cancel the Canada-Israel free trade agreement, implement a real two-way arms embargo, and use every diplomatic and economic tool at our disposal to rein in Israel.”
“US-Israeli impunity has shredded the international order,” he added. “Canada should lead in rebuilding it.”
US Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Wednesday that he “will be offering a resolution to stop US military aid to Israel” when Congress returns to session next week. The US is Israel’s chief arms supplier; recent data shows that 99% of Israel’s weapons imports are from the US and Germany.
Israel launched its barrage of airstrikes on Lebanon, including busy areas in central Beirut, just hours after US President Donald Trump, Iranian leaders, and Pakistani mediators announced a two-week ceasefire agreement aimed at providing space for a lasting resolution to the war that the US and Israel launched in late February.
Pakistan’s prime minister said explicitly that Lebanon was part of the ceasefire agreement, but the Trump White House and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the country was excluded, prompting fury in Iran.
“If this isn’t yet another case of the US early reneging, then what is it?” asked Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
US Vice President JD Vanceclaimed Wednesday that there was a “legitimate misunderstanding” about the terms of the ceasefire, saying the Iranians “thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t.”
“That said, the Israelis have actually offered to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful,” Vance said.
More Israeli airstrikes were reported in Beirut as Vance made his comments.
More Israeli airstrikes in Beirut #Lebanon just as VP Vance says Israel will show restraint. “Israelis have actually offered to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon …to make sure that our negotiation is successful.” This is in sheyyah area tonight pic.twitter.com/F4ZFrlKS52
Israel’s assault on Wednesday marked the deadliest day for Lebanon during the latest round of bombing, which began days after the US and Israel launched their war on Iran. Lebanon held a national day of mourning on Thursday as rescue efforts continued across the country.
One woman, identified as Haniya Faraj, told The New York Times that nine of her relatives were wounded in an Israeli attack on a neighborhood in central Beirut.
“I don’t know if there are more, my head is about to explode,” she said. “I can’t reach all my family members.”
The Associated Press reported that its journalists “saw charred bodies in vehicles and on the ground at one of Beirut’s busiest intersections in the central Corniche al Mazraa neighborhood, a mixed commercial and residential area. Using forklifts, rescue workers removed smoldering debris and sifted through ruins for survivors.”
Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement that the Israeli government “has an appalling track record of carrying out unlawful attacks in Lebanon and displaying a callous disregard for civilian life, fueled by the impunity Israeli officials feel they enjoy.”
“These attacks are a reminder that states must immediately halt the transfer of arms and weapons to Israel, given the overriding risk that they will be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law,” said Morayef.
“We condemn these strikes in the strongest possible terms,” said Macron. “They pose a direct threat to the sustainability of the ceasefire that has just been reached. Lebanon must be fully covered by it.”
Sánchez, who has vocally condemned the Iran war from the start as illegal and immoral, went further, urging the European Union to “suspend its Association Agreement with Israel.”
“There must be no impunity for these criminal acts,” said Sánchez.
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/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.Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
A woman injured in an Israeli airstrike arrives at a hospital in Nabatieh, Lebanon on April 8, 2026. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
“Civilians in Lebanon are already paying an unbearable price with children, health workers, and journalists amongst those killed—the latest attacks will only escalate this devastating human toll,” said one campaigner.
Humanitarian campaigners, civil rights defenders, and progressive members of Congress were among those calling on the Trump administration to pressure Israel to stop bombing Lebanon after Israeli airstrikes killed or wounded more than 1,400 people—many of them civilians—on Wednesday.
In what Amnesty Internationalcalled an “unprecedented escalation,” the Israel Defense Forces said it carried out the “largest coordinated wave of strikes” of its renewed war on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Around 100 sites in the country were bombed in one 10-minute period alone in what the IDF dubbedr “Operation Eternal Darkness.”
Lebanese officials said that at least 303 people were killed and 1,165 others wounded by Israeli strikes on Wednesday, the deadliest day of attacks since Israel resumed bombardment of Lebanon and likely since it started bombing its northern neighbor after the Hamas-led Palestinian attack of October 7, 2023.
While Lebanese authorities do not break down casualties according to combatant status, officials and residents of the capital city of Beirut said that civilians were the main victims of Wednesday’s bombings, which targeted apartment towers and other civilian structures in numerous densely populated urban areas.
This is horror in real time.
The moment Israel started dropping bombs on CIVILIAN AREAS in Lebanon.
Without any warning.
Israel dropped 160 bombs in the first minute alone — massacring over 250 civilians
One witness, a woman named Fatima, told Amnesty International what she saw in the immediate aftermath of an IDF strike on a building across the street from her home in Beirut’s Salim Salam neighborhood.
“It was apocalyptic,” she said. “Bodies on the ground. Blood everywhere. I saw countless wounded adults and children. I walked further but it was the same scene in the other neighborhoods too. I did not know where to go. I just walked aimlessly trying to get as far as possible. It was a nightmare.”
Dr. Firass Abiad, a surgeon and wformer Lebanese health minister, told The Guardian that American University of Beirut Medical College, where he works, received about 70 patients at the same time, a situation he said was intentionally caused by Israel “to flood the health system.”
“There was a 90-year-old who I just left a bit ago. He passed away from his wounds,” he said. “There was nothing we could do. These are civilians who, without any warning, their whole apartment building was flattened. So you can imagine the severity of injuries that we’re getting.”
Israel killed Taleen and Yasmeen in Beirut, Lebanon.
Shaden Fakih, a 24-year-old calisthenics trainer, described trying to find his friend who was inside a building when it was bombed. He couldn’t locate his friend, but he was seen carrying an elderly woman from the rubble.
“There’s no Hezbollah here, the Israelis are just getting happy when they bomb people, it’s not about Hezbollah,” Fakih said in an interview with The Guardian. “Just stop bombing us. If you want to kill Hezbollah, go for it, but don’t kill civilians, because you’re creating anger in us against Israel and we will have to act like Hezbollah just to defend our country. But I don’t want to do that, I just want to live in peace.”
“It’s been the worst day since the war started,” he added. “And what I’m most sad about is that my pretty Lebanon, our beautiful Lebanon, soon it will all be brought down to the ground.”
As Common Dreams reported, Israeli strikes have wiped out entire families in Lebanon and Iran. In Gaza, more than 2,700 families have been erased from the civil registry.
Responding to Wednesday’s attacks, Amnesty International Middle East and North Africa regional director Heba Morayef said that “just hours after the world cautiously welcomed news of a US-Israeli ceasefire with Iran, in Lebanon the nightmare for civilians has become more terrifying.”
“Even before today’s attack… more than 1,500 people had been killed and over a million people displaced from their homes across the country,” Morayef continued, referring to Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon after Hezbollah began launching rockets and drones southward in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza has left more than 250,000 Palestinians dead, injured, or missing.
“Civilians in Lebanon are already paying an unbearable price with children, health workers, and journalists amongst those killed—the latest attacks will only escalate this devastating human toll,” Morayef added. “These attacks are a reminder that states must immediately halt the transfer of arms and weapons to Israel given the overriding risk that they will be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law.”
The Washington, DC-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a statement late Wednesday, “Once again, Israel’s genocidal government is trying to derail a ceasefire and ensure peace does not succeed by slaughtering innocent civilians.”
“The Trump administration must stop them from carrying out this brutal plan,” the group added. “Israel has demonstrated time and again that it cannot be trusted to abide by peace agreements. It is time for our government to cut all support for Israel’s atrocities.”
These and other groups, as well as governments in the Mideast and beyond, and US progressives, are demanding that Lebanon be included in the ceasefire. Although Israel agreed to the truce, the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza—asserts that the deal does not include Lebanon.
Iran categorically rejects Israel’s claim and is using its leverage over the Strait of Hormuz to pressure Israel to reconsider its stance.
Some US progressives called for President Donald Trump to pressure Israel to stop attacking Lebanon, and for a suspension of American arms transfers to the IDF.
“It is unconscionable we continue to provide aid to Israel as they continue to murder civilians and violate international law in Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank,” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said Thursday on Bluesky. “No more money to Israel’s genocidal apartheid regime.”
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/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.Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
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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.
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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
