David Cameron has called on Israel to be “smart as well as tough” and not retaliate following Iran’s missile attack on the country.
The foreign secretary urged Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to use his “head as well as heart” as pressure mounts on him to respond.
Iran launched a wave of drone and missile strikes on Israel in response to Tel Aviv’s attack on the Iranian embassy in Syria.
However, there were no fatalities after UK and US jets helped the Israeli Defence Forces to repel the attack.
Speaking on Radio Four’s Today programme this morning, Lord Cameron urged Israel to “take the win” and not risk a further escalation of violence in the Middle East.
He said: “I would argue that the Iranians miscalculated by making such a significant attack on Israel. They claimed it was the minimum they would possibly do - I think when you consider 110 ballistic missiles and 36 cruise missiles that is not the minimum of anything.
“They clearly hoped more of their weapons would get through and this just demonstrates the danger if miscalculation. Fortunately it was an almost total failure.
“The worry is now on the other side. Of course Israel has a right to respond, It will be under pressure, not least from its own public, to respond.
“But our argument is the smart as well as tough, the head as well as heart, thing to do is not to respond because the danger of a response is that it triggers a further response and that’s how we go on.”
He added: “What we have to do with allies is win the argument in the broader global environment about who is really the aggressor here, but also make sure that they try and de-escalate the situation so that there isn’t further loss of life and suffering.”