Rishi Sunak tells Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu 'calm heads' must prevail as ... trends now
Rishi Sunak has called for 'calm heads to prevail' during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that escalation in the Middle East following Iran's unprecedented missile and drone barrage is in nobody's interest.
Downing Street said the PM spoke to his counterpart this afternoon after reports the leaders had been unable to find a time to hold the call, with the UK government saying that Netanyahu 'has been very busy with war cabinet and engagements'.
During the conversation, Sunak 'reiterated the UK's steadfast support for Israel's security' and wider regional stability, while Netanyahu 'thanked the UK for its rapid and robust support in the face of Iran's reckless and dangerous attack'.
Sunak also told him that 'Iran had badly miscalculated' with its assault, adding that the Islamic Republic is 'increasingly isolated on the global stage', No10 said.
He additionally said that the G7 is working on a package of measures against Iran. Italy, which has the presidency of the group, suggested any new sanctions would target individuals, as opposed to the far-reaching measures Israel has pushed for.
Rishi Sunak told Israel's Prime Minister that 'Iran had badly miscalculated' with its assault
Netanyahu 'thanked the UK for its rapid and robust support in the face of Iran's reckless and dangerous attack,' Downing Street said
Sunak also used the call to put pressure on Israel to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where around half the population are believed to be starving.
'The PM said the UK wants to see a massive step change in aid access to Gaza, including Israel opening up new aid routes,' according to No10's statement.
It comes after White House national security spokesman John Kirby declined on Monday to say whether Biden had urged Netanyahu in talks on Saturday night to exercise restraint in responding to Iran.
'We don't want to see a war with Iran. We don't want to see a regional conflict,' Kirby told a briefing.
Meanwhile, Western allies have been eyeing swift new sanctions against Tehran to help dissuade Israel from a major escalation.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he was 'leading a diplomatic attack', writing to 32 countries to ask them to place sanctions on Iran's missile programme and follow Washington in proscribing its dominant military force, the Revolutionary Guard Corps, as a terrorist group.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the US would use sanctions, and work with allies, to keep disrupting Iran's 'malign and destabilising activity'.
She told a news conference in Washington that all options to disrupt Iran's 'terrorist financing' were on the table, and that she expected further sanctions against Iran to be announced in coming days.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, speaking in Brussels after an emergency video conference of EU foreign ministers, said some member states had asked for sanctions against Iran to be expanded and that the bloc's diplomatic service would begin working on the proposal.
Borrell said the proposal would expand a sanctions regime that seeks to curb the supply of Iranian drones to
