IRAN, Russia and North Korea have created a new “axis of menace” that poses a direct threat to world peace, Defence Secretary John Healey has warned.
The group of rogue states are out to “attack our way of life” and blow up the hard-won security established after World War Two, he said.
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In an exclusive sit-down with The Sun on Sunday on the eve of the Labour Party conference, Mr Healey said hiking defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP was an iron-clad pledge Labour will hit.
But he refused to say when the Treasury will cough up the extra cash.
And he warned some defence projects face cuts as he takes tough decisions to help plug the £22billion black hole in the UK’s finances.
Iran has been waging proxy wars on Israel and the West for years by backing terror groups Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels.
But there are increasing fears this could erupt into a full-blown war between Iran and Israel any day now following the latter’s attacks on Hezbollah over its border in Lebanon.
In a chilling warning, Mr Healey said the world is facing a moment of great peril.
He added: “We have a war in Europe for the first time in decades — since the end of the Second World War.
“We have a conflict in the Middle East that, as we’ve seen in recent days, has the risk of escalating into a much wider regional conflict.
“We see Iran increasing its axis of menace alongside Russia and North Korea.
“We see rising tensions in other parts of the world, like the Indo Pacific.
“And that combination of growing and diversifying threats means we have to do more, and we have to do it differently to defend ourselves and be strong abroad.
“And that’s at the heart of the mission that I bring as Defence Secretary.”
The sheer scale of the threat of World War Three has been laid bare in recent days.
Earlier this week, thousands of Hezbollah members were injured and killed in Lebanon when their pagers and walkie-talkies blew up in 48 hours.
Israel’s security agencies are believed to be behind the audacious attack.
On the cusp
And Jerusalem followed up by ordering massive air strikes on Lebanon.
Hezbollah fired rockets back and has vowed vengeance, and the world is watching with bated breath to see if these proxy battles will erupt into full-blown war.
Israel has an arsenal of nuclear weapons, and the West fears that Iran is on the cusp of getting the bomb — thanks to help from Russia.
It raises the prospect of two nuclear powers going to war.
Asked how worried he is about Iran getting a nuclear bomb, Mr Healey said: “Iran has been active and dangerous — especially through its proxies — for some time.”
It was revealed last week that Iran sent ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine.
And we revealed how PM Sir Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden spoke at the White House about their fears that Russia gave Iran nuclear secrets in return.
Mr Healey said there is great “concern” about “Iran directly arming Russia”.
He insisted that Iran is “out to attack our values, our way of life, our way of ordering the world, which has been settled since World War Two.”
They have got technology that is advancing all the time. And they have got no restraint in whose hands they’ll put that technology
John Healey
He added: “All that is threatened by Vladimir Putin and his illegal invasion of Ukraine, by Iran and its sponsoring of proxy terror, and by rogue states like North Korea that respect no one’s boundaries.”
Mr Healey would not say if he thinks Iran is on the cusp of getting the nuclear bomb.
In the eye of the storm
But he added: “We can see the advanced state of some of their weapons.
“They have got technology that is advancing all the time.
“And they have got no restraint in whose hands they’ll put that technology.”
As Labour’s first Defence Secretary in 14 years, Mr Healey now finds himself right in the eye of the storm.
Known across Westminster for his cool-headedness and stalwart commitment to our troops, it is no surprise he was picked for the demanding role by leader Sir Keir.
During the dark days of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, he was one of a handful of Labour MPs around the Shadow Cabinet table arguing that Britain must never quit Nato or give up its nuclear weapons.
Now Labour are in government, he is facing new challenges.
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Labour have promised to hike defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP — but refuse to say by when.
In the meantime, Mr Healey has been told by Chancellor Rachel Reeves he must make cuts to save money.
It has sparked fears that hugely important defence projects such as GCAP — Britain’s sixth-generation stealth fighter plane — could be under threat.
My task is to stop the loss of people from our Armed Forces. That means improving incentives and the life for people who serve us
John Healey
Asked when Labour will make good on its promise to hit 2.5 per cent on defence, Mr Healey sidestepped the question, simply saying: “We’ll increase it.
“We must increase it to reflect the threats we face.”
In opposition, Mr Healey blasted the Tories for cutting troop numbers.
Now in power, Mr Healey says his big challenge is recruitment.
He went on: “My task is to stop the loss of people from our Armed Forces.
“That means improving incentives and the life for people who serve us.”
As part of that mission to recruit and retain troops, Mr Healey signalled that military families could be exempt from the 20 per cent VAT being slapped on private schools.
The Defence Secretary said: “On the support for school education, I know how important it is, I know the impact it may have, so I’m looking hard at it, and the Army is assessing it at the moment.”
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