British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday confirmed that the United Kingdom is deploying fighter jets and other military assets to the Middle East, as tensions sharply escalate between Iran and Israel.
Speaking to reporters aboard his flight to Canada for G7 talks, Starmer said the deployment was part of contingency planning in response to the rapidly evolving regional crisis.
“We are moving assets to the region, including jets, and that is for contingency support,” Starmer said.
The UK Prime Minister disclosed that he had spoken with both US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following Israel’s large-scale attacks on Iranian military and nuclear facilities launched early Friday. Officials reported that dozens of people were killed, among them senior army officers, Revolutionary Guards commanders, and civilians.
In retaliation, Iran launched waves of drones and missiles against Israel overnight between Friday and Saturday.
Describing the current developments, Starmer noted, “The situation is fast-moving and intense.”
He said the UK was engaged in continuous diplomatic consultations.
“We’re having ongoing discussions with our allies all of the time, both myself and (foreign minister) David Lammy… who also spoke to the Iranians,” Starmer said.
He added: “Our constant message is de-escalate, and therefore everything we’re doing, all discussions we’re having, are to do with de-escalation.”
Starmer characterized his recent call with the Israeli prime minister as constructive.
“My talk on Friday with Netanyahu had been good and constructive,” he said, noting it had “included discussions about the safety and security of Israel.”
Separately, Foreign Secretary David Lammy expressed deep concern over the continued hostilities.
“We must urgently de-escalate & prevent any further harm to civilians,” Lammy said in a post on social media.
He also revealed that he had spoken with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to appeal for restraint:
“I spoke to my Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to urge calm,” Lammy added.
— AFP
