The knives are out in Whitehall. Word reaching this bureau is that Number 10 is apoplectic. President Trump has convened a meeting in Washington to renegotiate the Iran nuclear deal. The UK was not invited. Not even a courtesy call. It is a brutal snub. A deliberate sidelining of a key ally.
Senior civil servants are fuming. One described it as a 'calculated humiliation'. The meeting is said to include France, Germany, and the EU's foreign policy chief. But no British seat at the table. It is a stark reminder of the UK's diminished global weight post-Brexit. The special relationship? It looks more like a one-night stand.
Labour is circling. Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy has already tabled an urgent question in the Commons. He will demand to know what the government is doing to protect British interests. Backbenchers on all sides are restive. They smell blood.
The PM's team is scrambling. A Downing Street source insisted that 'close contact' is being maintained with all parties. But that is spin. The reality is that the UK has been locked out of a critical security negotiation. Again.
This is the second such humiliation in six months. Remember the Australia-UK-US submarine pact? The one where the UK was left waiting in the corridor while Washington and Canberra settled terms? This is worse. Iran is not just about trade. It is about nuclear proliferation. About Middle East stability. About our own security.
Treasury sources whisper that the economic consequences could be severe. UK firms with exposure to Iran face renewed sanctions risk. The pound slipped 0.3% on the news. Markets hate uncertainty. And this is very uncertain.
The irony is not lost on Whitehall watchers. The UK spent years trying to salvage the JCPOA after Trump's earlier withdrawal. Now the administration that championed that deal is hosting talks about talks. Without us. It is a masterclass in diplomatic humiliation.
What happens next? The PM will likely make a statement this afternoon. Expect a lot of diplomatic language about 'working constructively with partners'. But the mood in the Westminster lobby is grim. This is a story that will run and run.
I am told that the foreign secretary held an emergency call with the US national security advisor. It was described as 'frank and robust'. Translation: a shouting match. But it achieved nothing. The meeting is going ahead. The UK is on the outside looking in.
For a government that promised a 'Global Britain', this is a disaster. It reveals the hard truth: influence cannot be claimed. It must be earned. And right now, the UK does not have enough chips on the table. The Iran file is just the latest example.
Watch this space. The leaks are just beginning. I expect more details to emerge from inside the meeting. If there is any comfort, it is that Whitehall leaks like a sieve. We will know everything soon enough. But for now, the mood is one of betrayal. And fury.
