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UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has urged Iran to “refrain” from attacking Israel throughout a telephone name with Iran’s new president.
Sir Keir instructed Masoud Pezeshkian there was a “serious risk of miscalculation and now was the time for calm and careful consideration”, Downing Street mentioned.
It is the primary name between a UK prime minister and an Iranian president since March 2021 when former British chief Boris Johnson spoke to Hassan Rouhani.
News of the 30-minute dialogue got here because the UK issued a joint assertion with the US, France, Italy and Germany – urging Iran to finish its threats of an assault on Israel.
They known as on Iran to “stand down its ongoing threats of a military attack against Israel and discussed the serious consequences for regional security should such an attack take place”.
The leaders, who spoke collectively by telephone, additionally expressed their assist for the “defence of Israel against Iranian aggression and against attacks by Iran-backed terrorist groups”.
Fears of a wider battle within the Middle East have been rising following the latest assassination of senior Hezbollah and Hamas leaders.
On Sunday, the US confirmed it had despatched a guided missile submarine to the area in response to those issues. The submarine can carry as much as 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, that are used to strike land targets.
It had additionally ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln provider strike group, which is carrying F-35C fighter jets, to speed up its journey there. The ship was already on its technique to change one other US ship within the area.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby later mentioned that the US shared Israel’s issues that it was “increasingly likely that there will be an attack by Iran and or its proxies and perhaps in the coming days”.
“That is why we have been continually speaking to our Israeli counterparts and other counterparts in the region,” Mr Kirby added.
Rear Adm Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), mentioned that the nation took the threats of its enemies severely and that Israel was at “peak preparedness for attack and defence”.
Downing Street additionally mentioned on Monday that Keir Starmer had instructed Mr Pezeshkian he was “deeply concerned by the situation in the region and called on all parties to de-escalate and avoid further regional confrontation”.
Iran blames Israel for the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh on their soil late final month and has vowed to punish it.
Israel, which is at the moment engaged in a conflict trying to destroy the group in Gaza, has not commented however is broadly believed to have been behind the killing.
Iran’s appearing international minister mentioned final week that the nation would reply to the killing of Haniyeh on the “right time” within the “appropriate” method.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a bunch of states with Muslim-majority populations, mentioned it held Israel totally liable for the assault, which it known as “a serious infringement” of Iran’s sovereignty.
Ismail Haniyeh will not be the one senior member of Hamas to be killed not too long ago. Israel additionally not too long ago introduced that the group’s navy chief Mohammed Deif was killed in an air strike within the Gaza Strip final month.
The Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, with which Israel can be engaged in a battle, has additionally mentioned that it might retaliate for the loss of life of its senior commander Fuad Shukr.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday turned the most recent chief to induce his nation’s residents to go away Lebanon as quickly as doable, warning of the chance of rising tensions.
Airlines together with Lufthansa, Swiss Air and EasyJet have both cancelled or suspended flights to the Middle East.
