Most of the 182 Iranian missiles were captured by air defence systems aided by the US and the UK. Keir Starmer condemned Iran. The exact details of the UK’s involvement have been kept secret for now…
No injuries have been reported in Israel while one man was killed in the West Bank. An hour and a half after Iran fired its missiles the BBC had managed to find a KCL professor who, suprise surprise, said Hezbollah and Iran were “rational and cautious”:
“The international community has to make sure that whatever Israel does is not upending the regional order as we know it, and the US has a responsibility. So we’ve been in this cause for 12 months now of constantly red lines being crossed, mostly by the Israelis. Hezbollah and Iran have played fairly rationally trying to always try to be very cautious in how they respond, trying to leave off ramps where they could – the Netanyahu government has kind of lost the opportunity at every junction to use an offramp that was given to them.”
Meanwhile Tory leadership hopefuls have come out with statements overnight. Jenrick said: “There can be no more appeasement. We must stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel, our ally, just as we have with Ukraine. All the support necessary to win this war must be given to Israel so they can defeat the evil Iranian regime.”
Cleverly said: “What we are seeing this evening in Israel is an attack on an ally. It is being attacked by a country that wants to wipe it off the map. In April, the UK and its allies defended Israel. The UK Government must do the same now. We must stand with Israel.”
Tugendhat said: “The world must unite in condemning this heinous act of state terrorism. This is just the latest action from a regime that, for the past 45 years, has murdered its own citizens and hundreds of thousands of Muslims in Syria and Yemen.”
Putting up a united position. The BBC’s ability to front “different” analysis never ceases to amaze…
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood introduced her speech on migration reforms at the IPPR:
“There’s no denying we meet at a difficult time for my party.”