'Iran Can Be Pushed Back Against Hard'
Newsweek US|November 01, 2024
Former British Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair talks exclusively to Newsweek about resolution in the Middle East and the role of the U.S. in achieving it
NANCY COOPER, CHRISTOPHER ROBERTS and BARNEY HENDERSON
'Iran Can Be Pushed Back Against Hard'

FORMER U.K. PRIME MINISTER SIR TONY Blair described Iran as the "origin of the instability in the Middle East" in a wide-ranging interview with Newsweek.

Blair, whose decision to use British armed forces in the 2003 invasion of Iraq-as well as his perceived closeness to President George W. Bushattracted criticism at home and abroad, said that the key to stability in the region was to ensure religious tolerance prevailed over Islamism.

He blamed Iran for attempting to export its revolution through proxies such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both of which have been heavily targeted by Israel since the attacks of October 7, 2023, the bloodiest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust.

Blair, who is now Roman Catholic, became leader of the British Labour Party in 1994 and was prime by minister from 1997 to 2007. As well as encompassing the Iraq War, over which he was accused of misleading the U.K. Parliament, his time in office included passing the Good Friday Agreement, a landmark in the Northern Ireland peace process, and humanitarian interventions in Sierra Leone and Kosovo.

After leaving office, he was special envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East-an organization to mediate the Israeli-Palestinian peace process comprising the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia-until 2015. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Bush in 2009.

In 2016, he founded the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, a nonprofit organization to fight what he described as the growth of authoritarian populism across the world. His latest book, On Leadership: Lessons for the 21st Century, is a manual for today's leaders based on his experiences in politics.

Newsweek Global Editor in Chief Nancy Cooper, VP of Digital Publishing Christopher Roberts and Content Director Barney Henderson spoke with him in London. This interview has been edited for space and clarity.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM NEWSWEEK USView all
Wendi McLendon-Covey
Newsweek US

Wendi McLendon-Covey

AFTER 10 YEARS OF PLAYING BEVERLY GOLDBERG ON THE GOLDBERGS, Wendi McLendon-Covey was not eager for a break. \"I need to go do a job where I can just throw everything at it and then come home totally exhausted.\"

time-read
1 min  |
November 22, 2024
'I'm the Highest Earner in Esports'
Newsweek US

'I'm the Highest Earner in Esports'

Johan \"NOtail\" Sundstein has won over $7 million but says, \"I don't really crave that status.... I play for my own reasons\"

time-read
6 mins  |
November 22, 2024
AMERICA'S BEST Weight Loss CLINICS & CENTERS 2025
Newsweek US

AMERICA'S BEST Weight Loss CLINICS & CENTERS 2025

WHETHER IT'S FOR MEAL PLANS, PROFESSIONAL guidance or access to medications like GLP-1s, weight loss clinics can offer personalized assistance for those hoping to make sustainable lifestyle changes.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 22, 2024
AMERICA'S MOST ANTICIPATED NEW VEHICAL 2025
Newsweek US

AMERICA'S MOST ANTICIPATED NEW VEHICAL 2025

WHETHER IT'S A NEWLY IMAGined sport utility vehicle or the re-emergence of a highly regarded halo car, the vehicles coming to market in 2025 prove that Americans' attitudes about personal transportation are diverse and are being served from all angles.

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 22, 2024
'THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE'
Newsweek US

'THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE'

What Donald Trump's historic U.S. presidential election victory means to America - and the world

time-read
8 mins  |
November 22, 2024
Trump Won, Mainstream Media Lost
Newsweek US

Trump Won, Mainstream Media Lost

A broken business model exacerbated by a collapse in influence has the Fourth Estate entering another Donald Trump term in trouble

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 22, 2024
Can Alternative Therapies Treat Cancer?
Newsweek US

Can Alternative Therapies Treat Cancer?

Doctor and breast cancer survivor Liz O'Riordan addresses misinformation around managing the disease

time-read
5 mins  |
November 15, 2024
Falling for Romance
Newsweek US

Falling for Romance

A new book, Nora Ephron at the Movies, celebrates the writer/director best known for her iconic rom-coms and strong female characters

time-read
5 mins  |
November 15, 2024
Cracking the Norse Code
Newsweek US

Cracking the Norse Code

Walrus DNA has shown that Vikings were likely the first to have encountered Indigenous North Americans

time-read
4 mins  |
November 15, 2024
Monumental Shift
Newsweek US

Monumental Shift

The discovery of 165-million-year-old crystals Easter Island has upended the longheld notion of how the Earth's \"conveyor belt\" moves

time-read
6 mins  |
November 15, 2024