British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has advised the Islamic State of Iran not to respond to Israeli strikes after retaliatory air strikes were fired at Tehran.
Speaking at a press conference in Samoa, the Prime Minister said: “I am clear that Israel has the right to defend itself against Iranian aggression and I am equally clear that we need to avoid further regional escalation and urge all sides to show restraint.
“Iran should not respond. We will continue to work with allies to de-escalate the situation across the region,” Keir Starmer added.
Meanwhile, an Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari who announced the strikes as they happened overnight said the attack was to make sure Iran pays the price for its recent attack on Israel.
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In a new statement, Hagari says Iran has “paid the price” for its recent attacks on Israel.
He says Israel carried out “precise and targeted strikes on targets in different areas in Iran”. These targets included missile manufacturing facilities, surface-to-air missile arrays and other aerial capabilities, he says.
He says Israel selected these sites from a “broad target bank”, and that it would be able to “select additional targets from it and strike them if required”.
“This is a clear message – those who threaten the State of Israel will pay a heavy price,” he adds.