Wednesday, 4 March 2026

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (09:52): I want to reflect today on the situation in the Middle East, and if there were ever occasion for just engagement in combat, this is such a one. I can understand why Donald Trump and the Israelis have made the decision to pre-emptively strike against many Iranian assets. There is a legitimate concern about nuclear weapons being produced, and there is also a legitimate concern about the ballistic missiles that are in such numbers in Iran. So I can understand why the Israelis and the Americans have taken the actions they have. We can never be happy about the deaths and the injuries that occur in such engagements on both sides, of course. But the death of the Ayatollah is a welcome development. The regime has been such a horrific regime targeting various minority groups, including the Baha’i and others. It has been very clear in its targeting of people of various backgrounds and various systems that it does not like. So I am very happy to put on record my strong support for the activities that are occurring in the Middle East at the moment, and the leadership of the Americans and Israelis in dealing with what is a difficult situation.