Starmer tries to ease tensions with Israel stressing ‘right to self-defence’ after Iran strikes – but urges ‘diplomatic’ solution to Tehran’s nuclear weapons drive

Sir Keir Starmer moved to ease tensions with Israel today stressing its ‘right to self-defence’ after strikes on Iran.

But the PM urged a ‘diplomatic’ solution to rising fears about Tehran developing nuclear weapons as he called a Cobra emergency meeting this afternoon.

Operation Rising Lion, involving more than 200 Israeli jets, targeted a facility in Natanz and the capital overnight – sparking alarm at the potential for an all-out war.

The US was told in advance that the raids were coming, but the UK was not given any notice amid rising tensions over Gaza.

In a call with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu this afternoon, Downing Street said Sir Keir was ‘clear that Israel has a right to self-defence and set out the UK’s grave concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme’.

But a No10 spokesperson added the PM had also ‘reiterated the need for de-escalation and a diplomatic resolution, in the interests of stability in the region’ in his call with Mr Netanyahu. 

Earlier, in a call with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Sir Keir said a ‘diplomatic resolution, rather than military action was the way forward’.

Asked in an interview with Bloomberg News on Friday whether Israel was justified in its action, the PM said: ‘I’m very concerned about the situation that is developing.

‘It’s obvious that for a long time we’ve had grave concerns about the nuclear programme that Iran is putting together and we absolutely recognise Israel’s right to self-defence.’

Kemi Badenoch has insisted Israel should be supported for stopping Iran getting nuclear weapons. 

The Tory leader said Tehran was an ‘enemy’ of the UK that had been behind attempted terrorism.

While urging ‘de-escalation’, she swiped that the government should not be ‘confused about whose side we’re on’, saying the regime developing such weapons of mass destruction would be ‘catastrophic’.   

The US has stressed it was not involved in the strikes, but Donald Trump has said the regime must do a nuclear deal to avoid further action. Oil prices have surged on concerns about fresh turmoil. 

Israel launched attacks on Tehran early Friday with over 200 warplanes deployed

The Tory leader said Tehran was an ‘enemy’ of the UK that had been behind attempted terrorism

The PM has urged both sides to ‘step back’ after Israel launched raids, insisting its regional rival cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons

Keir Starmer pleaded for calm after the strikes on Iran sparked fears over all-out war

There are claims Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Hossein Salami was killed in the strikes.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said Israel should expect ‘severe punishment’ in response.

Sir Keir declined to comment on whether the UK would help Israel fend off any retaliation from Iran. 

Earlier Sir Keir said he would ‘urge all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently’. 

‘Escalation serves no-one in the region,’ he said.

‘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 strikes appear to be the most significant Iran has faced since its war with Iraq in the 1980s.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who has postponed a trip to the US amid the crisis, 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 X.

‘This is a dangerous moment & I urge all parties to show restraint.’

But on a visit to Scotland today Mrs Badenoch said: ‘Iran is an enemy of the UK… we do not want Iran gaining nuclear weapons.

‘If Israel is stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons they should not be condemned for that. That would be something I support.’

The Tory leader dismissed the idea that Israel’s actions were an escalation.

‘I do not understand why this would be seen as an escalation. If Iran is about to acquire nuclear weapons, that is the real escalation. I mean, that would be catastrophic,’ she said.

She added: ‘If Israel sees Iran getting nuclear weapons, I don’t think it should sit back and put its feet up and say: ‘Well, we’re de-escalating’.

‘Because the person, the country, that will escalate is Iran, and that would be absolutely disastrous for the entire world.’

Asked whether she thought the UK should be helping Israel to defend against Iranian retaliation, she said: ‘I don’t know why the Government has chosen not to be supportive.

‘There will be security details that I’m not familiar with, but we have supported them before, in you know, defending themselves against strikes from Iran.

‘But let’s, let’s just remember that Iran tried to carry out a terrorist attack on UK soil.

‘This is not an area where we should be confused about whose side we’re on, and we can’t just assume that warm words are going to stop Iran from doing something that will destroy our way of life.’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this morning that the ‘operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat’.

In a clip posted on social media, Mr Netanyahu said that Israel ‘struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme’ and ‘the heart of Iran’s nuclear weaponisation programme’.

The US has stressed it was not involved in the strikes, but Donald Trump has said the regime must do a nuclear deal to avoid further action

A map of Iran’s nuclear facilities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they were the IDF’s main targets

Kemi Badenoch insisted Israel should be ‘supported’ for stopping Iran getting nuclear weapons today

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, General Mohammad Bagheri.

Industry minister Sarah Jones told Sky News the UK Government is ‘doing everything we can to urge restraint and to try and de-escalate the situation’.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel acted unilaterally.

In a post on X, Mr Rubio said ‘we are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region’.

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