UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appealed for “calm heads to prevail” on Sunday, confirming that British fighter jets downed Iranian drones during Tehran’s unprecedented attack on Israel.
Israel and its allies intercepted nearly all of Iran’s missiles and drones fired during its first attack on Israeli land.
Sunak joined world leaders in urging patience, while Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned against “reckless” Israeli reprisal for the strikes, which marked a significant increase in Middle East tensions.
“If this attack had been successful, the consequences for regional stability would be difficult to overstate,” Sunak told reporters in Downing Street.
“We support Israel’s and the region’s security, which is obviously important for our own security, and what we now need is for calm heads to prevail.”
“We’ll be working with our allies to de-escalate the situation and I look forward to speaking to G7 leaders later this afternoon,” he said.
He also stated that British Royal Air Force planes “did shoot down a number of Iranian attack drones,” corroborating allegations that Britain assisted Israel and other allies in repelling the attacks.
In response to Iran’s threats to Israel, the UK’s defence ministry announced late Saturday that it has sent more fighter fighters and air refueling tankers to the region.
The jets strengthened an existing British campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, according to the Ministry of Defence.