Patrick Wintour

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Patrick Wintour

Patrick Wintour

@patrickwintour

Guardian Diplomatic Editor.

London Katılım Mart 2009
1K Takip Edilen87.5K Takipçiler
Patrick Wintour
Patrick Wintour@patrickwintour·
A new coalition of the willing prepared to take the appropriate steps in the Strait of Hormuz Joint statement from the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan on the Strait of Hormuz "We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces. "We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict. We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping, and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817. "Freedom of navigation is a fundamental principle of international law, including under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. "The effects of Iran’s actions will be felt by people in all parts of the world, especially the most vulnerable. "Consistent with UNSC Resolution 2817, we emphasise that such interference with international shipping and the disruption of global energy supply chains constitute a threat to international peace and security. In this regard, we call for an immediate comprehensive moratorium on attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations. "We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait. We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning.
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Barak Ravid
Barak Ravid@BarakRavid·
🚨After the first Iranian missile strike, Qatari officials contacted White House envoy Steve Witkoff, CENTCOM commanders and other senior Trump administration officials and demanded to know whether the U.S. had prior knowledge of the Israeli strike, per source with knowledge
Barak Ravid@BarakRavid

🇺🇸🇮🇱🇮🇷After Tehran strikes Qatar, Trump changes course and says Israel won't attack Iran gas fields anymore. My story on @axios axios.com/2026/03/19/ira…

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Patrick Wintour
Patrick Wintour@patrickwintour·
Former PM of Qatar What Israel wants, unfortunately, is coming to pass… It strikes Iranian oil facilities, and the responses come to strike the countries of the region, leaving us in a scene of regional war or a confrontation between the two sides of the Gulf. To the Iranian leadership, we say it clearly: We have never been your enemies, but what you are doing today is a rejected and unjustified act. These are not targets to be struck to vent anger, and you know full well who the true aggressor is. What you are doing now does not deter the enemy; rather, it serves him, achieves his goals, and widens the rift between you and the peoples of the region. You are pushing the region toward the abyss of a mad war. And I previously warned of the consequences of such acts that serve only Israel alone.
حمد بن جاسم بن جبر@hamadjjalthani

ما تريده إسرائيل يتحقق للأسف… تضرب منشآت نفطية إيرانية، فتأتي الردود لتصيب دول المنطقة، لنجد أنفسنا في مشهد حرب إقليمية أو مواجهة بين ضفتي الخليج. للقيادة الإيرانية نقولها بوضوح: لم نكن يومًا أعداءكم، لكن ما تقومون به اليوم عمل مرفوض وغير مبرر. هذه ليست أهدافًا تُضرب لتفريغ الغضب، وأنتم تعرفون تمامًا من هو المعتدي الحقيقي. ما تفعلونه الآن لا يردع العدو، بل يخدمه، ويحقق أهدافه، ويزيد الشرخ بينكم وبين شعوب المنطقة. أنتم تدفعون بالمنطقة نحو هاوية حرب مجنونه. وقد حذرت سابقا من عواقب مثل هذه الأعمال التي لا تخدم إلا إسرائيل وحدها.

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Patrick Wintour
Patrick Wintour@patrickwintour·
Much remarked on: in the Economist the mediator in the Iran US talks, Oman’s foreign minister Badr Albusaidi writes the US has lost control of its foreign policy to Israel. He wrote this before Trump said he did not know Israel was going to bomb South Pars gas field in Iran, leading to the disastrous Iranian retaliation in Qatar. (Earlier in the conflict we had been told the US Israeli military operation was seamless) “For Gulf states an economic model in which global sport, tourism, aviation and technology were to play an important role is now endangered. Plans to become a global hub for data centres may need to be revised. The effects of Iran’s retaliation are already being felt globally, as maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is severely disrupted, driving up energy prices and threatening deep recession. If this had not been anticipated by the architects of this war, that was surely a grave miscalculation. The American administration’s greatest miscalculation, of course, was allowing itself to be drawn into this war in the first place. This is not America’s war, and there is no likely scenario in which both Israel and America will get what they want from it. Hopefully America’s commitment to regime change is just rhetorical, whereas Israel explicitly seeks the overthrow of the Islamic Republic and probably cares little about how the country is governed, or by whom, once this has been achieved. With this objective in mind Israel’s leadership seems to have persuaded America that Iran had been so weakened by sanctions, internal divisions and the American-Israeli bombings of its nuclear sites last June, that an unconditional surrender would swiftly follow the initial assault and the assassination of the supreme leader. But it should now be clear that for Israel to achieve its stated objective will require a long military campaign to which America would have to commit troops on the ground, opening a new front in the forever wars which President Donald Trump previously vowed to end. This is not what America’s government wants. Nor do its people, who certainly do not see this as their war. The question for friends of America is simple. What can we do to extricate the superpower from this unwanted entanglement? First of all, America’s friends have a responsibility to tell the truth. That begins with the fact that there are two parties to this war who have nothing to gain from it, and that the national interests of both Iran and America lie in the earliest possible end to hostilities. This is an uncomfortable truth to tell, because it involves indicating the extent to which America has lost control of its own foreign policy. But it must be told. The leadership of the United States will then need to decide where its national interests really lie, and act accordingly. A sober assessment of those interests would indicate that they must include a definitive and decisive end to nuclear-weapons proliferation in the region, secure energy supply chains and renewed investment opportunities in the context of the region’s growing global economic significance. All of these would be best achieved with Iran at peace with its neighbours. They can perhaps be identified as shared objectives for all the countries of the Gulf. How to get there from today’s catastrophe is the challenge.” Highly recommend a subscription to the Economist since in the article he also sets out how the talks could even now be revived. More generally the speeches of the foreign minister are worth a read.
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Mehdi Hasan
Mehdi Hasan@mehdirhasan·
“I Wargamed Iran for Obama. This Is the Worst-Case Scenario” Absolute must-read on the 5 lessons from wargaming that former US official ⁦@ilangoldenberg⁩ learned that Trump hasn’t. zeteo.com/p/i-wargamed-i…
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Masrour Barzani
Masrour Barzani@masrourbarzani·
Given the extraordinary circumstances facing the country, and the responsibility we all share to get through this difficult chapter, we have decided to allow oil to flow through the Kurdistan Region’s pipeline as soon as possible.
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Patrick Wintour
Patrick Wintour@patrickwintour·
✅An account of a political prisoner about the critical conditions in Greater Tehran Prison A political prisoner in Greater Tehran Prison has sent a message reporting very difficult and critical conditions in this prison. In this message, he says: "I doubt America will kill us, but the Islamic Republic definitely will." According to this prisoner, after an attack around the prison, some prisoners tried to leave the prison, but the NOPO forces used pellet guns, military weapons, and tear gas to prevent their exit and dispersed the prisoners. The prisoner further explains that since then, living conditions in the prison have become much more difficult. According to him, prisoners face a serious shortage of food and water and even face serious problems for bathing or drinking water. He also says the prison's gas supply has been cut off and access to basic living facilities is severely limited. Based on this account, the current conditions are described as even worse than when some prisoners were transferred from Evin Prison to Greater Tehran Prison. According to this prisoner, many prisoners are worried about the current situation and have called for public attention to the conditions inside the prison. The message also states that the credit for prison phones is running out and some devices have been disconnected; an issue that, according to him, has brought prisoners' communication with the outside world to the brink of complete disconnection. He also says the prison store is not operational and many essential items are not available to prisoners, describing the overall prison conditions as "very difficult." At the end of his message, the prisoner warns that the prison doors are being welded shut and if a missile hits the prison, prisoners will have no chance to save their lives. According to him, while officials should find a way to protect prisoners' lives, conditions are getting harder for them every day. @Sahamnewsorg
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Patrick Wintour
Patrick Wintour@patrickwintour·
A cogent historical rebuttal of the Iranian appeal to Gulf States to show solidarity with Tehran against US. Worth reading.
د. عامر الكبيسي@amer_alkubaisi

كما تحدثتَ يا سيد علي لاريجاني بصراحة، وشيء من العتب، سنجيبك نحن أيضا بالصراحة نفسها، وبقدر مماثل من العتب، للصالح العام، فاسمح لنا. أولا: قولك إن إيران تعرضت لعدوان أمريكي إسرائيلي يحمل الحقيقة، لكنكم نسيتم أن العرب وتركيا وقفوا بقوة لمنعه، بل إنكم رفضتم أنقرة كمكان مهم للتفاوض قدمته الأمة لكم على طبق من ذهب وسلام، وكان رفضكم كان غريبا جدا، إذ قبلتم بجنيف ورفضتم أنقرة التي وافقت الأمة التي تخاطبها الآن على جعلها محطة سلام أخيرة قبل الحرب، لقد كان ذلك أكبر الأخطاء سيد لارجاني. ثانيا: عتبك على الدول الإسلامية لأنها لم تقف مع إيران يتجاهل أن هذه الدول تحمل ذاكرة ثقيلة من التجارب. كل العرب والأمة الإسلامية رفضوا الاعتداء على إيران من حيث المبدأ، لكنهم في الوقت نفسه لم ينسوا ما جرى في دمشق، وبيروت، وصنعاء، ومناطق أخرى أضفتموها للتو: دبي، والرياض، والدوحة، والمنامة، والكويت وعمان. من حق الدول أن تحمي سيادتها واستقرارها، وألا تطلب منها مواقف تضامنية، بينما تشعر أن سيادتها نفسها كانت موضع ضغط، أوقف ضرب الخليج والعراق والأردن فورا سيد لارجاني هذا عدوان مع احترامي لك. ثالثا: استشهادك بعبارة: «من سمع رجلا ينادي يا للمسلمين فلم يجبه فليس بمسلم» لا يقوي الحجة. فهذه العبارة ليست حديثا كما قلت، وكان لديك ما هو أفضل منها للاستشهاد، لا حديث موضوع. كما أن توظيف الدين بهذه الطريقة في نزاع سياسي يضع الإسلام في موقع الاصطفاف لصالح دولة بعينها، بينما العالم الإسلامي ينتقدكم على كثير من المواقف منذ مدة طويلة، وهذا اختزال لا يخدم الدين ولا يخدم السياسة. رابعا: تصوير استهداف قواعد أو مصالح داخل دول المنطقة على أنه شأن أمريكي فقط، يتجاهل السيادة الوطنية، ويستلزم منه نظريا مهاجمة ثمانين دولة في العالم لها علاقة عسكرية مع أمريكا فهل تستهدفون نصف الأرض!!!. عندما تضرب منشآت أو أجواء داخل دولة عربية، فإن المتضرر الأول هو تلك الدولة وشعبها، وليس الولايات المتحدة. فالنفط مثلا ليس أمريكا، وعمارات دبي ليست أمريكا، وسماء قطر ليست أمريكا، وأحياء الرياض والمنامة وغيرها ليست أمريكا. خامسا: اختزال المشهد في خيارين، إما مع إيران أو مع أمريكا وإسرائيل، تبسيط خطير وغير صحي مطلقا. العرب والأمة يرفضون العدوان الإسرائيلي والأمريكي عليكم، وهم على قلب رجل واحد، لكنهم أيضا لا يقبلون أن تحل محل ذلك هيمنة إقليمية أخرى. الخيار الحقيقي هو استقلال القرار العربي، لا الانضمام إلى محور ضد محور. وأخيرا، فإن القول إن إيران لا تسعى إلى الهيمنة يحتاج إلى ما يثبته في الواقع. الثقة بين الدول لا تبنى بالخطابات، بل بالمراجعة الصريحة للسياسات، واحترام سيادة الدول، والكف عن تحويل المنطقة إلى ساحات نفوذ. نقول هذا بصدق واحترام كما كانت رسالتك المحترمة، لأن الصراحة وحدها هي الطريق إلى تهدئة المنطقة، لا إعادة إنتاج خطاب الاستقطاب الذي أنهك شعوبها.

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John Jackson
John Jackson@hissgoescobra·
One item about the Strait of Hormuz that isn’t being talked about enough is its geography. It isn’t just narrow, it has sheer rock faces and high elevations, rising quickly. Ideal ambush terrain. Limits sensor depth and complicates targeting from the water. Vulnerability is high.
John Jackson tweet mediaJohn Jackson tweet mediaJohn Jackson tweet mediaJohn Jackson tweet media
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Patrick Wintour
Patrick Wintour@patrickwintour·
"We don't know who their leader is. We have people wanting to negotiate. We have no idea who they are," Trump told reporters during a White House event. The President showing he is really on top of this one.
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Patrick Wintour
Patrick Wintour@patrickwintour·
Worth recalling UK has recently taken military action to defend freedom of navigation, but in the Red Sea by attacking Houthi drone manufacturing sites in Yemen. It followed a UN SC resolution in Jan 2024 condemning Houthi attacks, but not authorising use of force. As members of Operation Prosperity Guardian, the UK took part in at least six bombing raids in 2024 and 2025 jointly with US. PM Sunak in January 2024 told MPs "this action was taken in self-defence. It was limited, not escalatory. It was a necessary and proportionate response to a direct threat to UK vessels, and therefore to the UK itself." He added: "We should also recognise the risks of inaction. It would weaken international security and the rule of law, further damage freedom of navigation and the global economy, and send a dangerous message that British vessels and British interests are fair game". Starmer as opposition leader said "The Houthi attacks are unacceptable and illegal and, if left unaddressed, could lead to a devastating rise in the cost of essential food in some of the poorest countries....The UK strikes were limited and targeted, and did everything possible to protect civilian lives. That is a proportionate response". Parallel far from exact eg Iran not yet conducting full scale attacks on shipping, Biden built a coalition and Houthis not a recognised state.
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Patrick Wintour@patrickwintour·
Trump the coalition builder. Saturday March 7 Trump to Starmer The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, adding: “That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer – But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!” Saturday March 14 Trump “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint will send ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a nation that has been totally decapitated." Sunday March 15 Trump It will be very bad for the future of NATO if the seven countries say no and the US will remember them. Monday March 16 Starmer to Trump. Option 1 This is an illegal war that you started in the middle of talks from which you excluded Europe. You launched the war without consulting your allies or Congress and without considering the military consequences. So the answer is no. Sort out the mess of your own making. Option 2 Vital UK interests are at play and freedom of navigation requires the Strait is reopened. “Help is on its way, Mr President”. Option 3 I am consulting allies and lawyers.
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