LONDON — British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Friday described Israel’s overnight attacks in Iran as a “dangerous moment,” urging all parties to show restraint.
In a post on X, Lammy wrote: “Stability in the Middle East is vital for global security.”
He said he was “concerned to see reports of strikes overnight,” adding that “further escalation is a serious threat to peace and stability in the region and in no one’s interest.”
Echoing Lammy, Prime Minister Keir Starmer also called for restraint.
“Escalation serves no one in the region,” he wrote on X.
“Stability in the Middle East must be the priority and we are engaging partners to de-escalate. Now is the time for restraint, calm and a return to diplomacy.”
Israel launched a sweeping military operation against Iran on Friday, with strikes targeting its nuclear program and long-range missile capabilities, Israeli Army Radio reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech posted on YouTube that his forces struck at the “heart of Iran’s nuclear weaponization program.”
Netanyahu described the attacks as a “targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.”
Israel declared a nationwide state of emergency and closed its airspace, diverting all flights to other countries, Hebrew-language media reported.
A total of 200 Israeli planes struck Iran in its early Friday attack, the Israeli army said.
Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, an army spokesman, said that 200 Israeli planes had dropped 330 munitions during the strikes.
In response, Iran launched over 100 drones towards Israel in recent hours, and interception efforts are ongoing, the spokesman added. – AA
