Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s recent evasion over whether US involvement in Israel’s strikes on Iran is legal has raised eyebrows. Lammy’s reluctance to comment may stem from a desire to preserve the illusion of a “special relationship” with Washington, or perhaps from a more pragmatic instinct to avoid entanglement in an escalating conflict driven by apocalyptic visions on both sides. Legal concerns are not theoretical—Britain’s attorney general has reportedly warned that UK participation in any such action could be unlawful, raising questions about the legality of US strikes under international law as well.
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The influence of religious ideology on US foreign policy is significant. Donald Trump’s administration has become a vehicle for the fusion of evangelical Christian eschatology and geopolitical ambition. Prominent figures in Trump’s circle, including Mike Huckabee and Paula White-Cain, subscribe to End Times beliefs which view the establishment of Israel and a coming global conflict as harbingers of Christ’s return. This worldview, widely held among Trump’s evangelical base, casts the conflict with Iran in a spiritual light rather than as a matter of conventional strategy or diplomacy.
Meanwhile, the Iranian leadership is shaped by its own millenarian theology. Twelver Shiism, the official ideology of the Islamic Republic, anticipates the return of the Mahdi—the 12th imam—who is believed to re-emerge at the end of days to lead a global Islamic revolution. Ayatollah Khamenei and the Iranian regime have integrated this doctrine into the foundations of their state and military, including the Revolutionary Guard and the Basij militia. Their strategy, according to analysts, includes actions believed to pave the way for the Mahdi’s return—placing Iran at odds with both Israel and the United States.
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While Britain, Europe, and even Russia have urged calm and diplomacy, they may be overlooking the central issue: both Washington and Tehran are influenced by religious ideologies that perceive the current conflict as more than political—it is, to some, prophetic. Against this backdrop, rational negotiations may struggle to prevail over beliefs rooted in divine destiny.
