London (Parliament News) – UK’s Lord Cameron confirms UK’s assistance to Israel against Iran’s drone attack to prevent conflict escalation. Iran’s failed aggression is seen as a setback. RAF intercepted drones. PM to address Parliament.
The UK supported Israel’s defence against Iran in order to contain an escalation of the conflict, Lord Cameron has stated. RAF jets thwarted a small number of drones tied for Israel in Iran’s first-ever direct raid on its territory.
The foreign secretary described to the BBC the attack was a “double defeat” for Iran that could have resulted in thousands of deaths and led to greater escalation had it been victorious. He is insisting Israel to be “smart” and “tough” as it considers its reaction. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the former prime minister counted that Israel should turn its priority once more to the circumstances in Gaza and securing a deal to get the hostages home. “This in many ways has been a double defeat for Iran,” he stated.
“Not only was the operation almost wholly unsuccessful – almost all the weapons were shot down – but also in a second defeat the whole world can see… they are the malign influence in the region.”
Lord Cameron added that the UK did not back a retaliatory strike, quoting US President Joe Biden’s statement that Israel should “take the win”. “Now is the time to be wise as well as tough, a time to consider with head as well as heart.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is anticipated to give further particulars about British involvement in appalling Iran in the House of Commons on Monday.
How Did RAF Counter Iranian Drones?
Iran threw about 300 weapons at Israel overnight on Saturday and into Sunday, in a widely-anticipated retaliatory aggression. Lord Cameron stated that included 110 ballistic missiles and 36 cruise missiles. The Israeli military affirmed it had intercepted the majority of the attacks – mostly outside of Israel’s airspace – with the support of other countries.
Attack drones were blocked by the RAF in Syrian and Iraqi airspace, where it was already serving with the US as part of the Operation Shader task against the Islamic State group.
Lord Cameron affirmed the UK’s role was to “backfill” for the US and the RAF had arranged to shoot down Iranian drones if they came through that airspace.
The Ministry of Defence has not stated how many RAF Typhoons were airborne, nor how many weapons it shot down. Iran’s attacks come after Tehran pledged to retaliate over a strike on its consulate in Syria on 1 April, which eradicated seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers, including a top commander.
Lord Cameron expressed the response by Iran was of a “different order” to the consulate strike, adding that the UK functioned “entirely in our national interest” by getting entangled to avoid further escalation. Iran and Israel were partners until the Islamic Revolution in 1979, which was conducted in an era of tensions between the two nations. Lord Cameron claimed the UK’s repeated position on Israel’s right to self-defence and conveyed he was focused on bringing about a break in fighting followed by a sustainable ceasefire
Attacks on Israel up until this point had been achieved through the funding and arming of Iran’s proxies – the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.
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