Keir Starmer urges Iran and Israel to 'step back from the brink'

Sir Keir Starmer today urged Middle East leaders to 'step back from the brink' amid fears of a widescale conflict in the region.

The Prime Minister denounced Iran's overnight missile barrage on Israel but urged 'all parties' to find a way to simmer down tensions.

Speaking in Brussels ahead of meetings with top EU bosses, Sir Keir reiterated Britain's support for Israel and the country's 'right to security and self-defence'.

But, in the wake of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to make Iran 'pay', he added: 'We do need to pull back from the brink.

'And to encourage all parties to find a way to deescalate and for a political solution to the very many fronts of the crisis in the Middle East.'

Sir Keir also repeated his call for those hostages taken as part of the Hamas terror attacks on Israel nearly a year ago to be released 'immediately and unconditionally'.

It came as the Government stepped up planning for an evacuation of Lebanon, as more Israeli troops advanced across the border and clashed with Hezbollah.

Defence Secretary John Healey is in Cyprus, where Britain has military bases, for talks about the crisis.

Mr Healey confirmed British forces were involved in efforts to defend Israel from Iran's ballistic missile barrage.

It is understood RAF jets were involved in the efforts to intercept the Iranian missiles.

The operation was similar to the role carried out by the UK's forces when Iran launched a drone and cruise missile barrage at Israel in April, when RAF Typhoons were involved in the defensive effort.

In a statement last night, Mr Healey confirmed 'British forces have this evening played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East'.

Hundreds of British troops have been deployed to Cyprus alongside RAF and Royal Navy assets in the region in preparation for a potential evacuation of British nationals from Lebanon following the launch of Israel's ground offensive.

Mr Healey today met Cypriot counterpart Vasilis Palmas for talks about the crisis. 

Britons fleeing Lebanon were set to board a UK Government-chartered flight to safety on Wednesday, at a cost of £350 a seat.

A separate scheduled Middle East Airlines service to Heathrow also departed Beirut's airport.

But there are concerns in Whitehall that further military activity by Israel could result in the closure of the airport, cutting off the most straightforward exit route for the estimated 4-6,000 British nationals in Lebanon.

If that happens the only option could be a military-facilitated evacuation co-ordinated from the British bases in Cyprus.

Israel's ambassador said Britain would not have 'coped' with Iran's air barrage, if it had been targeted at UK cities.

Tzipi Hotovely said the 182 missiles fired by Tehran overnight were 'intended' to kill civilians - even if they were intercepted.  

Pledging 'severe retaliation', the envoy to London asked how the UK would have handled a similar attack on the capital, Manchester and Birmingham.

Ms Hotovely told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'One hundred and eighty-two Iranian rockets were targeting Israeli civilians.

'This is the most important thing because sometimes we are checking whether people got killed or didn't get killed.

'No, the intentions matter and the intention of the Iranian regime was to target Israeli civilians in a massive attack.

'I don't think Britain would have coped with 182 rockets direct to London, to Manchester, to Birmingham, to your main cities. This is what happened yesterday.

'We saw the centre of Israel covered with rockets. We saw all our air force working hard to eliminate this threat, and Iran will pay the price.

'The Iranian regime is not impressed (by) words and it's time for actions. We will take action on this. There will be a severe retaliation coming from Israel.'