The prime minister has “urged all parties to step back” after Israeli strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear programme.
Israel launched strikes on Tehran early on Friday, targeting the country’s nuclear programme and rekindling fears of a full-scale conflict.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that Israel should expect “severe punishment” in response, and it was reported on Friday morning that drones had been launched.
Sir Keir Starmer said the government urged “all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently” after the strikes, adding that “now is the time for restraint, calm and a return to diplomacy.”
He said: “The reports of these strikes are concerning and we urge all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently. Escalation serves no-one in the region.
“Stability in the Middle East must be the priority and we are engaging partners to de-escalate. Now is the time for restraint, calm and a return to diplomacy.”
The attack appeared to be the most significant Iran has faced since its war with Iraq in the 1980s.
Starmer’s sentiments were echoed by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who said stability in the Middle East was “vital” for global security.
“Further escalation is a serious threat to peace & stability in the region and in no-one’s interest,” he said in a post on social media platform X.
“This is a dangerous moment & I urge all parties to show restraint.”
UK officials are continuing to monitor the situation, and the UK did not play any part in the action overnight.
However, a minister would not say on Friday morning whether the UK was aware of the strikes ahead of time.
Speaking to “Good Morning Britain,” industry minister Sarah Jones said: “This is a very concerning and dangerous situation of course, and this government supports de-escalation and that’s what we’ll be trying to achieve.
“Of course I can’t talk on air about what we did or didn’t know but we will be using all the powers that we have with our allies to urge all sides to show restraint.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday morning that the “operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.”
In a clip posted on social media, Netanyahu said that Israel “struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme” and “the heart of Iran’s nuclear weaponisation programme.”
Iranian state television reported that the leader of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Hossein Salami was killed as well as chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel acted unilaterally.
In a post on X, Rubio said, “We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.”
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said the UK “must use our influence and diplomacy” to deliver “stability in the Middle East.”
In a post on X, Patel said: “We are watching closely developments in the Middle East and urge all sides to work towards a de-escalation of tensions.
“The world is an increasingly dangerous place with significant threats to our national interests, security and defence.
“We must use our influence and diplomacy to work closely with all of our allies in the region and beyond to resolve conflicts, and deliver peace and stability in the Middle East.”
