Following Iran’s attack on Israel on Saturday, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged “restraint” from all sides. While expressing solidarity with Israel, Sunak also stressed the need to avoid further escalation and said he would be speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the matter. In a statement in the House of Commons, he confirmed that the Royal Air Force (RAF) had intercepted “a number of Iranian drones,” and emphasized that the air force was “the best of the best.”
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron added that the UK would not support a retaliatory strike, calling for Israel to be “smart” and “tough” in considering its response. He pointed out that the attack was a “double defeat” for Iran, whose weapons were largely shot down, and which risked escalating the conflict. Cameron also suggested that Israel should focus on the situation in Gaza and securing a deal to have hostages released.
The UN Secretary-General and Germany’s foreign minister have joined the UK in calling for calm, while France pledged to do everything in its power to avoid a regional conflict. Meanwhile, Israel’s war cabinet member Benny Gantz warned that Israel would “exact a price” at an appropriate time.
Iran launched over 300 drones and missiles at Israel in retaliation for a deadly air strike on its consulate in Damascus. Israel confirmed the interception of 99% of the projectiles with the aid of the US, UK, and Jordan. UK involvement in the conflict was to backfill for the US, and the RAF was tasked with shooting down Iranian drones should they enter Syrian and Iraqi airspace.
Iran and Israel were allies until 1979, when the Islamic Revolution sparked an era of tensions between the two nations. Tehran has accused Israel of being behind the attack on its consulate, but Israel neither confirmed nor denied involvement. Attacks on Israel up until this point had been conducted through Iran’s proxies, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis
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