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Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Con)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 16 June 2025

Debate

Conflict in the Middle East

Contribution

My Lords, I refer to my entry in the register of interests. It would be catastrophic if Iran were ever to get a nuclear weapon; I am totally opposed to that. I totally support the right of Israel to defend itself and to exist; I totally condemn many of the things that have been said about Israel by Iran. However, I believe that a diplomatic solution is still possible. I say that because we had a diplomatic solution in 2015 with the JCPOA, which, if it were in operation today, would mean that there would be only 300 kilograms of enriched uranium in Iran’s stocks and that it would be enriched to only 3.67%. The mistake was that Trump tore up that agreement—that is why we are faced with the situation we have today. The Iranians agreed to the original proposition in 2015. The IAEA certified that they were complying with it, and it had the right of inspection throughout the country. The agreement was achieved then, and it could be achieved again if we put our minds to it. I beg the House not to get too bomb-happy and to consider that a diplomatic solution is better than the lives being lost.

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