ET WLF 2026: India, US, UK must work together to find a way out of West Asia crisis

From whipping out a comb to tame his unruly mane, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson transitioned to an in-depth discussion on messy geopolitics at The Economic Times World Leaders Forum. He praised India effusively, expressed deep dissatisfaction over the US failing to consult the UK on the Iran war and insisted that Vladimir Putin was fated to lose the war in Ukraine. Johnson said India is going through a very good period under very strong and stable leadership. "The Indian story today is a really wonderful story," he said, predicting an "incredible future" for India because it is a democracy and a free country.

He also hailed the India-UK free-trade agreement, negotiations for which began when he was the PM.

"The free trade deal that I started...it was good, we've done a lot, but there's a lot more to do," Johnson told ET's Sruthijith KK in a fireside chat, richly peppered with his characteristic straight shooting and humour that triggered rounds of laughter among a keenly attentive audience.


He said India, the US and the UK should work together to find a way out of the Iran crisis.

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US-Iran War & Role of UK

Johnson regretted that the US did not consult the UK on the Iran war. "And I honestly think that was a mistake.... if I'd been the prime minister when that thing kicked off, it would not have happened. Because, if you remember, this is the third Gulf War. The first two Gulf wars, the US and the UK were absolutely shoulder to shoulder. There was even a joint cabinet, with Margaret Thatcher and George HW Bush, and Tony Blair and the younger Bush, that absolutely coordinated their efforts."

He termed US President Donald Trump a "deeply consultative type of person". "I've been lying comatose in hotels in Miami when he rang me up and asked my opinion on something... I'm sure that (India) Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi knows this too. He loves to hear from his friends and to get advice. So, I think that we should have done more (consultations). I really, really regret it." Johnson was of the opinion that the UK could have played a stronger role in preventing the US from walking into what he described as an "obvious, obvious trap" in its war with Iran. "Someone should have interrogated the US, if not President Trump, his planners, the Pentagon - what is the objective of this war," he said. Britain, as one of the US' closest allies, should have sought clarity on Washington's strategy and its plans in the event of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz. "And we are your No.1 ally, right? We're your feeder circadians. We're your loyal hedge person," Johnson said.

Johnson called for alternative logistical arrangements, including pipelines and other routes that could reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz.

Negotiations with Iran are tough, Johnson said. "Once they think they've got you, once they've got something over you, once they've got something on you, you're stuck, and they will continue to weaponise whatever advantage they have. I wish I could say I was optimistic about negotiations."

India-UK FTA

Johnson said he was thrilled that the FTA had happened. "It is a great deal...if I have achieved nothing else in my life, I have cut the tariffs. I have persuaded, helped to persuade, the brilliant, doughty, remorseless Indian negotiators to cut the tariffs with exorbitant 150% tariffs on Scotch whisky to 75%, and going down, and going down further, to 40% in the next few years." He credited India for playing a key role in Britain's Covid-19 vaccination drive, saying he personally received the Indian version of the AstraZeneca vaccine during the pandemic.

US Hegemony vs China

The former UK PM described the US as the world's hegemonic power and said he would prefer Washington to retain that role over China. "Given where we are, I'd rather have America than China. Now, given where we are, people who love America and want to help America have got to think what we can do to get the strait open, help America out of the cul-de-sac. That's what we've got to do. And I think probably that goes for India too," he said. "I appreciate that it's very difficult right now for India, it's difficult for the whole world, it's a very, very tough position to be in. But we've got to find a deal with Iran, difficult though that will be, and brutal negotiators though they are, we've got to do that."

UK Politics

On UK PM Andy Burnham, Johnson said, "He's doing a lot of things that I did, actually like the £2 bus pass."

Referring to PM Modi's speech at the ET World Leaders Forum Friday, Johnson said it was brilliant because he talked about real issues that help people.