Calling on Iran to stop its attacks, Sir Keir said: “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.”
Sir Keir was on the phone to his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu when the Iranian attacks began.
The two men had been speaking for around 15 minutes – about the prospect of missiles being fired by Tehran – when Netanyahu had to abandon the call because he had been told the attacks were under way.
During their call, Sir Keir also underlined the importance of a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza.
Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak said: “We stand unequivocally by Israel’s right to defend itself including against Hezbollah in Lebanon.”
