Rishi Sunak warns Iran's nuclear programme 'never been more advanced' amid fears of Israel conflict escalating

Israel has accused Iran of launching 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and at least 120 ballistic missiles towards it.

Rishi Sunak has warned Iran's nuclear programme has “never been more advanced” amid fears of the conflict with Israel escalating.

Making a Commons statement on Monday, the Prime Minister labelled Iran "a despotic regime" that had "shown its true colours" following the firing of more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel.

In its first ever direct assault on the country, Iran launched drones and missiles in retaliation for a strike on Tehran's consulate in Damascus on April 1, which killed a number of senior Iranian commanders.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak giving a statement to MPs in the House of Commons, London, following the attack by Iran on Israel.

Mr Sunak told MPs the "fallout for regional security and the toll on Israeli citizens would have been catastrophic" if the attack had been successful, but also urged his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to show restraint.

The Royal Air Force joined allies in defending Israel, with British jets shooting down a number of Iranian attack drones.

Mr Netanyahu is considering how to respond to Tehran, with the US and UK urging calm.

Responding to his statement, Chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, had insisted “restraint is vital”, and also called for a new consensus on Iran.

She said: “To better protect our people will (Mr Sunak) commit to launch a new consensus on Iran with our allies, and a new effort with a combined diplomatic, military and wider expert areas to limit the extent of the atrocities of Iran. We need to end the compartmentalisation of the threats when we deal with them, we need to deal with them as one. Whether it be nuclear ambitions, the arming of the militia, femicide, or transnational oppression but only with a new consensus will we see that progress so will he please commit to leading that internationally?”

Mr Sunak replied: “I can give (Ms Kearns) that commitment, and that is exactly the subject of our discussions yesterday amongst G7 leaders.

“And she mentioned nuclear, Iran’s nuclear programme has never been more advanced than it is today and threatens international peace and security, and there is absolutely no justification, at a civilian level, for the enrichment that we are seeing, that the IAEA has reported in Iran and I want to reassure her that we are considering next steps on the nuclear file with our international partners and we are committed to using all diplomatic tools available to ensure that Iran never develops a nuclear weapon, including using the snap-back mechanism if necessary.”

Iran launched about 350 drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday, but the majority were intercepted before they could reach their targets.

The onslaught followed Israel’s targeting of an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria earlier this month.

Iran has been blamed for supporting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon which have targeted Israel, along with the Houthi group in Yemen which has mounted attacks on Red Sea shipping.

In his Commons statement, Mr Sunak said he would be speaking “shortly” to Mr Netanyahu “to express our solidarity with Israel in the face of this attack and to discuss how we can prevent further escalation”.

He said: “All sides must show restraint.

“With this attack Iran has once again shown its true colours. They are intent on sowing chaos in their own back yard, on further destabilising the Middle East.

“Our aim is to support stability and security because it is right for the region and because although the Middle East is thousands of miles away, it has a direct effect on our security and prosperity at home.

“So, we’re working urgently with our allies to de-escalate the situation and prevent further bloodshed. We want to see calmer heads prevail and we’re directing all our diplomatic efforts to that end.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said there was “no doubt” the attack “has left the world a more dangerous place” and said Iran “must be wholly condemned by all”.

He said “a full-scale conflict in the Middle East is in no-one’s interest” and “it is a path that can only lead to more bloodshed, more instability and the unleashing of forces that are beyond the ability of anyone to control”.

In a rebuke to Israel, he said: “If diplomacy takes centre stage, and it must, then we also need to be clear diplomatic premises should not be targeted and attacked. That is a point of principle.”

Downing Street said there are “no current plans to publish legal advice” on the UK action, since British forces are operating within existing permissions and defined geographic area of the Operation Shader mission.

Giving pilots permission to intercept any airborne attacks from Iran is a “common-sense measure” to ensure that drones or missiles flying at or past British aircraft could be taken out, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said, while declining to say how many were shot down by the RAF.

The official also rejected Iran’s assertion that it gave advance warning of its strike, saying: “We were not briefed directly by Iran on their attacks.”

SNP deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black condemned the actions of Iran as “a cynical attempt to exploit the suffering, the pain and the turmoil being experienced by those people in Palestine.”

She told the Commons: “Whilst we rightly condemn the violent acts of Iran, so too must we condemn the violent acts of Israel. Listening to the interviews that he’s been giving the Foreign Secretary is correct in his attempt to uphold the principle of proportionality but if 100 missiles in retaliation to an isolated attack on an embassy correctly constitutes as disproportionate, then so too must Israel’s 192 days of bombardment of Gaza.”

She added: “The biggest continuing cause of conflict is the siege of Gaza, hence the need for a ceasefire so can the Prime Minister outline what he is doing to ensure that the UN Security Council mandated ceasefire becomes a reality?”