Ed Miliband led Cabinet opposition to US military action in Iran after questioning if it 'was a good thing' for Labour
The US was blocked from using UK bases but the decision was reversed by the Prime Minister two days later
Former Labour leader Ed Miliband played a key role in the Government's resistance to get involved in the US strikes on Iran, it has emerged.
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The Energy Secretary met with fellow Cabinet ministers on Friday ahead of the US strikes, where he, Rachel Reeves and Yvette Cooper are said to have strongly opposed the UK supporting any military action.
It is understood the senior Labour figures believed any intervention by the UK would be illegal and their stance was initially backed by Sir Keir Starmer.
Miliband is understood to have voiced his strong opposition to the impending US air strikes last week at a National Security Council meeting, The Telegraph reports.
Read more: Iran war LIVE: UK-chartered flight 'did not take off as planned' as conflict enters sixth day
The meeting was convened to discuss the potential effects on Britain's energy supply caused by the conflict.
Miliband reportedly relied on a legal opinion from Attorney General Lord Hermer before presenting a "petulant, pacifist, legalistic and very political" case against the strikes and any UK involvement.
A source told The Spectator: "He fundamentally doesn’t like Trump, and he doesn't like this Iran thing."
He was then backed up by the Chancellor and Foreign Secretary.
The Prime Minister came under fire by Donald Trump, who said: "This is not Winston Churchill we are dealing with," as he slammed the PM for choosing not to join the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
The Government initially refused US forces from using Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands, citing international law, but two days later, Sir Keir said that he would allow them access for "specific and limited defensive purposes".
Trump accused Starmer of being "unhelpful" and hinted the "Special Relationship" between the two nations had been damaged.
He said: "It's taken three, four days for us to work out where we can land, it would have been much more convenient landing there as opposed to flying many extra hours.
"This is not Winston Churchill we're dealing with."
Gulf nations including the United Arab Emirates have also been angered by the delay in giving the US permission to use joint bases to carry out "defensive" strikes against Iranian missile sites.
But in response, a Downing Street spokesperson for Starmer said: "President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest.
"That is what I have done, and I stand by it."
Defence Secretary John Healey is also due to visit Cyprus on Thursday in a bid to calm tensions after anger from some that the UK is not doing more to protect British bases on the island.
Healey is set to meet his Cypriot counterpart and is likely to visit British forces personnel protecting the country’s interests in the Middle East.
Starmer confirmed the UK would be sending HMS Dragon, one of the Royal Navy’s six Type 45 air defence destroyers, after RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus was hit by a drone.