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 reprisals for the strikes, which marked a significant increase in Middle East tensions.
“If this attack had been successful, the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate,” Sunak told reporters in Downing Street.
“We stand by the security of Israel and the wider region, which is of course important for our security here at home, 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,” Sunak added.
He added that the UK’s Royal Air Force planes “did shoot down several Iranian attack drones,” confirming reports that Britain had helped Israel and other allies repel the strikes.
In response to Iran’s threats to Israel, the UK’s defense ministry announced late Saturday that it has sent more fighter jets 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.
