The Defence Secretary has confirmed that British forces “played their part” in attempts to prevent further violence in the Middle East, following an attack on Israel by Iran, which was condemned by Sir Keir Starmer.
John Healey issued a statement on Tuesday evening, stating he “completely condemn[s] Iran’s attack against Israel”.
He added: “British forces have this evening played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East,”.
He also expressed his gratitude to all British personnel involved in the operation for their courage and professionalism.
Earlier, the Prime Minister had voiced his deep concern about the escalating violence in the Middle East, warning that the region is on the brink and urging British nationals in Lebanon to leave.
Meanwhile, Britons fleeing Lebanon were scheduled to board a UK Government-chartered flight to safety on Wednesday.
Sir Keir, in a statement from Downing Street on Tuesday evening, said Iran has “menaced the Middle East for far too long” and called on the country to “stop these attacks”.
“We stand with Israel and we recognise her right to self-defence in the face of this aggression,” he stated.
He further added: “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.”
“Make no mistake, Britain stands full square against such violence. We support Israel’s reasonable demand for the security of its people.”
Iran has reportedly launched these strikes in response to the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut last week.
This escalation follows Israel’s initiation of a ground offensive in Lebanon, conducting what it refers to as “limited, localised” operations.
Downing Street revealed that the Iranian assault on Israel commenced while Sir Keir was engaged in a conversation with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.
In his statement on Tuesday evening, Sir Keir expressed his deep concern about the region being “deeply concerned that the region is on the brink” and the potential risk of “deeply concerned about the risk of miscalculation”.
He reiterated the advice for Britons in Lebanon to evacuate and stated that “we’re doing everything we can to get people out, but the situation is extremely volatile”.
A specially arranged flight to evacuate Britons from the country is scheduled to leave from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday, with each seat costing £350.
Middle East Airlines, Lebanon’s only commercial airline still operating flights from Beirut, has a regular flight to the UK departing on Wednesday.
The Iranian attack on Israel has drawn criticism from British political leaders.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy cautioned against a “cycle of escalation”, stating it would be in “no-one’s interest”. Meanwhile, Conservative leader Rishi Sunak asserted: “we stand unequivocally by Israel’s right to defend itself including against Hezbollah in Lebanon”.
Sir Keir engaged in discussions with other European leaders about the situation on Tuesday evening, denouncing Iran’s attack and repeating calls for a ceasefire in the region.
In a dialogue with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, “the leaders agreed that further escalation was in nobody’s interest and that all sides should show restraint”, according to a Downing Street spokesperson.
There was also a discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron, where Downing Street reported: “the Prime Minister and president agreed that ensuring Israeli security was vital and that there was an urgent need for de-escalation, with all parties needing to show restraint”.
The Prime Minister also presided over a ministerial meeting in Downing Street on Tuesday regarding the situation in the Middle East.
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