Smart move is to keep calm, Cameron tells the Israelis as he hails role of British pilots

BRITAIN and European allies today urged Israel to refrain from military action against Iran as the United Nations chief warned that the Middle East stood “on the brink” of a full-scale war.

- Jitendra Joshi

Rishi Sunak was addressing the Commons this afternoon after he joined other G7 leaders in denouncing Iran for an alarming escalation in global tensions which saw RAF Typhoons engage in the UK’s first air-to-air combat since the Falklands War.

Lord Cameron, pictured right in Westminster today, hailed the “bravery” of the RAF crews who helped defend Israel as part of a US-led operation to counter hundreds of missiles and drones fired from Iran on Saturday night. But he stressed that the “smart” thing for Israel to do now was to not escalate the situation after what he termed a “double defeat” for Iran.

While the attack was largely thwarted, Iran said it had settled scores and planned no further action in reprisal for an air strike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1 that killed seven Iranian military personnel including three senior commanders.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet was reconvening this morning with some of his top ministers vowing retaliation, even as the White House ruled out US participation in any offensive action against the Islamic republic. The Foreign Secretary was asked whether he agreed with US President Joe Biden who reportedly told Mr Netanyahu to "take the win" and desist from further action.