While emphasizing his support for Israel, US President Joe Biden urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to exercise restraint as his government considers how to respond – an approach echoed by Cameron on Monday.
“First of all we have to think about the fact that this is a pretty significant attack,” Cameron said Monday. “110 ballistic missiles, 36 cruise missiles, 185 drones. And so, of course, Israel has every right to respond as an independent and sovereign country attacked in this way.
“But I think we are very concerned about avoiding an escalation and telling our friends in Israel that now is the time to think with the head as well as the heart.”
Cameron, a former prime minister brought back to the forefront of politics by Sunak late last year, said “the smart thing to do, as well as the hard thing to do now, is actually not to escalate “.
He later told Sky News that Iran had suffered a “double defeat” by both failing to inflict damage on Israel and revealing itself as a “malicious influence” in the region.
The British Foreign Secretary’s comments come amid growing concern over the escalation of the conflict between Iran and Israel.
A statement from G7 leaders on Sunday said Iran’s actions “further destabilize the region and risk provoking uncontrollable regional escalation.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Sunday evening: “The Middle East is on the brink of collapse. The region’s populations face the real danger of a devastating, large-scale conflict.
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