Sir Keir Starmer has said Britain stands with Israel and warned he is “deeply concerned” that the Middle East “is on the brink”.
In a televised address from Downing Street, the prime minister condemned an attack by Iran which saw around 200 missiles launched into Israel.
Sir Keir, who was on the phone to the Israeli PM when the assault was launched, said the rockets were aimed at civilian targets and it is “too soon to assess the impact fully”.
“I utterly condemn this attempt by the Iranian regime to harm innocent Israelis, to escalate this incredibly dangerous situation and push the region ever closer to the brink,” he said.
“We stand with Israel and we recognise her right to self-defence in the face of this aggression.”
Sir Keir called Iran to “stop these attacks”, saying it had “menaced the Middle East for far too long”.
“I am deeply concerned that the region is on the brink, and I’m deeply concerned about the risk of miscalculation,” he added.
Israel has vowed “there will be repercussions” following the attack, which Iran said was in retaliation for Israel’s campaign against the Tehran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon.
Asked if the UK would be prepared to use British military capabilities to help Israel defend itself against Iran, the prime minister said: “This, as you’ll 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.”
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