Sir Keir Starmer said he is ‘deeply concerned’ the Middle East is ‘on the brink’ after Iran‘s missile attack but refused to say whether Britain will help defend Israel.
Speaking from 10 Downing Street this evening, the Prime Minister repeated his advice to British nationals in Lebanon to leave immediately, with the situation becoming ‘increasingly grave’.
Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday night in revenge for Israel’s campaign against Tehran’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon, including the assassination of its leader last week.
Sir Keir would not be drawn on any British military involvement in the defence of Israel.
He said: ‘We stand with Israel and we recognise her right to self-defence in the face of this aggression.
‘Iran must stop these attacks. Together with its proxies like Hezbollah, Iran has menaced the Middle East for far too long, chaos and destruction brought not just to Israel, but to the people they live amongst in Lebanon and beyond.
Sir Keir Starmer said tonight he is ‘deeply concerned’ that the Middle East is ‘on the brink’ after Iran ‘s missile attack
The Prime Minister repeated his advice to British nationals in Lebanon to leave immediately
This picture shows projectiles being intercepted by Israel near the northern city of Baqa al-Gharbiya on October 1
People take shelter during an air raid siren, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel
‘Make no mistake, Britain stands full square against such violence. We support Israel’s reasonable demand for the security of its people.’
The attack on Israel began while Sir Keir was talking to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, Downing Street said earlier.
Sir Keir added: ‘This, as you will appreciate, is an evolving situation but what I will say is that we stand with Israel and her right to self-defence and any relevant updates will be provided in due course.’
Sir Keir said his diplomatic efforts had been focused on the need to find a political solution.
‘We have to find a route to de-escalate on all fronts. And in the end, the only solution here is a political solution. So my calls have been about the importance of creating space and the conditions for that de-escalation and to find that political route forward.’
Asked whether he was calling for restraint in Israel’s response to Iran, he said: ‘My message, very clearly, tonight is to condemn this attack by Iran, to recognise in clear terms Israel’s right to security and to defend herself, and I say that in absolutely clear terms.
Sir Keir said his diplomatic efforts had been focused on the need to find a political solution.
Sir Keir delivering a statement on the situation in the Middle East from 10 Downing Street, London, this evening
This picture shows projectiles being intercepted by Israel above Tel Aviv on October 1, 2024
‘Obviously, I think, all parties are concerned to ensure this doesn’t spiral into a much bigger conflict. But on the principle of Israel’s right to self-defence, I’ve been very, very clear.’
Foreign Secretary David Lammy has also warned against a ‘cycle of escalation’ as he too condemned the attack.
Iran said it fired dozens of missiles into Israel on Tuesday, the Associated Press news agency reported.
Tehran said it launched the strikes in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut last week.
Sir Keir also chaired a ministerial meeting in Downing Street on Tuesday on the situation in the Middle East.
The UK Government last night confirmed that British forces ‘played their part’ in defending Israel as Iran unleashed a barrage of missiles across the country.
Israel’s defence system stood firm as Iran launched warheads towards Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in revenge for Israel’s campaign against Tehran’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon.
The missile strike came as Israeli police battled with a terrorist attack in Jaffa, near Tel Aviv
Air raid sirens sounded as 181 missiles began raining down on Israel, with some rockets dramatically exploding into bright orange flames near Tel Aviv.
But as Iran unleashed a salvo of missiles, ordered by its supreme leader Ali Khamenei, falling projectiles burned like comets against the night sky after the rockets were intercepted by Israel’s ‘Iron Dome’ defensive system.
Israel has vowed that its air force will strike ‘powerfully’ overnight, sparking fears from world leaders that the Middle East is on the brink of being plunged into an all-out war.
The US has confirmed that its troops helped down the incoming missiles, and now the UK has revealed British forces also ‘played their part’.
Defence Secretary John Healey ‘condemned’ Iran’s attack, adding: ‘British forces have this evening played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East.’
Mr Healey continued: ‘I want to thank all British personnel involved in the operation for their courage and professionalism. The UK stands fully behind Israel’s right to defend its country and its people against threats.’
