28/02/2026
I note reports that the United States has undertaken military action against targets in Iran.
While any escalation of conflict is serious, responsibility for the present situation ultimately lies with the Iranian regime, whose destabilising activities, support for armed proxies, and sustained repression of its own people have brought the region repeatedly to the brink of wider conflict.
Iran remains a theocratic and totalitarian regime which denies its citizens basic freedoms and has responded to peaceful democratic protest with imprisonment, torture, sexual violence and death. Many Iranians continue to risk everything in pursuit of democracy and liberty. In that context, the weakening and ultimate replacement of this regime by the Iranian people themselves is paramount if lasting stability, peace, and freedom are to emerge in the region.
As the councillor in whose ward the Iranian Embassy is located, I wish to reiterate my support for the Iranian people and their legitimate aspiration for democracy and freedom. I sincerely hope that civilian casualties are minimised. Indeed, the greatest and most enduring risk to the Iranian people has long come from their own government.
