Iran’s 350 missile strike was act of a ‘despotic regime’ & we’re working with allies to avoid more bloodshed, PM says
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also condemned Iran
Rishi Sunak is demanding Israel show restraint in response to Iran’s military onslaught - to stop the Middle East conflict spiralling out of control.
The Prime Minister called out Tehran for its “reckless and dangerous escalation” saying their 350 missile strike was the work of a “despotic regime”.
Mr Sunak revealed that he would be speaking to Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu as he urged “calmer heads” to prevail as he condemned the attack.
The PM said that “all sides must show restraint”.
He added that if the attacks were successful the fallout for regional stability would be “hard to overstate”.
Mr Sunak said: “With this attack Iran has once again shown its true colours. They are intent on sowing chaos in their own back yard, on further destabilising the Middle East.
“Our aim is to support stability and security because it is right for the region and because although the Middle East is thousands of miles away, it has a direct effect on our security and prosperity at home.
“So, we’re working urgently with our allies to de-escalate the situation and prevent further bloodshed. We want to see calmer heads prevail and we’re directing all our diplomatic efforts to that end.”
Mr Sunak praised the RAF for shooting down a number of drones from Iran heading towards Israel as he said they were attempting to “plunge the Middle East into a new crisis”.
Leaders of the G7 spoke on Sunday afternoon highlighting how they were “united in our condemnation of this attack”.
He also pointed to attacks in Kyiv, Ukraine, at the weekend as Vladimir Putin launched attacks.
Mr Sunak said: “Threats to civility are growing everywhere. We are meeting those threats time after time. It is why our pilots were in action this weekend.”
Sir Keir Starmer says there was “no doubt” the attack “has left the world a more dangerous place”.
He said Iran “must be wholly condemned by all”.
Sir Keir added: “But let us also be clear, a full scale conflict in the Middle East is in no-one’s interest.
“It is a path that can only lead to more bloodshed, more instability, and the unleashing of forces that are beyond the ability of anyone to control.”
The Prime Minister’s intervention came as Number 10 rejected any claim from Iran that it gave advance warning of the drone and missile onslaught.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister said they were not “briefed directly” by Tehran ahead of the Saturday night attack.
They added that it would be hard to “overstate the fallout” for regional stability had the air strikes been successful.
Number 10 added: “The UK will work with our allies, including regional partners, to de-escalate the situation.”
Ministers will reject any claims to publish a legal summary for the UK’s action to counter the attack on Israel.
UK military were operating within Operation Shader which is already set up in the fight against the so-called Islamic State.
RAF pilots were given permission to intercept airborne attacks starting in Iran by “taking them out”.
No 10 added: “The UK was acting in the collective self-defence of Israel and for regional security.”
Military jets were moved from Romania to protect Nato from Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
Earlier, Lord Cameron demanded Israel to be “smart as well as tough” by not escalating the conflict with Iran.
The Foreign Secretary said Israel should recognise the attack as an “almost total failure” and they should “think with head as well as heart” before responding.
He said that if the drones and missiles had not been shot down it could have caused thousands of casualties.
The use of RAF jets would be deployed again as they were deployed to “backfill” for America in the joint operation against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
The Peer said: “If there was another Iran attack - Iran has said they’re not going to attack again, and after the failure of their attack, I’m not surprised - but absolutely, we’ll always keep these things under review.
John Healey, Labour’s shadow defence secretary, called on Mr Sunak to set out the government’s actions to “pursue the path of peace” in the Middle East.
He told the BBC: “We need to hear about the reasons for the military action, the legal basis for it, but most importantly what the UK Government is doing diplomatically to try and reduce tensions, to restore some stability and to pursue the path of peace and a ceasefire in Gaza.”
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