UK walks a diplomatic tightrope as Middle East crisis deepens before G7 Summit
Middle East
trembles under rising tensions between Israel and Iran. In the lead-up to the
G7 summit
in Alberta, Canada, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is navigating what may be the biggest test yet of his young government's foreign policy.
Behind closed doors at No. 10 Downing Street, the
UK government
confirmed it is running two crisis centres out of the Foreign Office: one focused on the Israel–Iran conflict, the other responding to Thursday's(June 12) deadly plane crash in Ahmedabad, India.
Officials say preparations for an Israeli strike on Iran began as early as April 2024. Foreign Secretary David Lammy chaired a 'tabletop exercise', simulating how the UK would respond to a sudden escalation. According to one source, 'We were hugely conscious of the risk of this happening at some point.'
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Undo
Yet Britain is staying away from public judgment. In a carefully worded statement, the government has avoided backing Israel's military strikes, instead repeating its 'long-held grave concerns' about Iran's nuclear programme, the very reason Israel claims to have acted.
While military aircraft, including Eurofighter Typhoons and refueling tankers, have reportedly been repositioned to bases in Cyprus and the Gulf, there is no open talk of intervention. 'We are not getting into an assessment of the rights and wrongs of it,' said one senior source.
Live Events
Prime Minister Starmer spoke with Israeli PM
Benjamin Netanyahu
and US President
Donald Trump
, both conversations lasting around 15 minutes. While Trump received birthday wishes during the call, the dominant topic was the worsening standoff between Tehran and Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Lammy has held calls with his counterparts in Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and later joined joint meetings with France, Germany, Italy, and EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas. His message was simple: de-escalate, coordinate, and prevent a broader war.
Adding to the stakes, France informed the UK that a UN summit on the two-state solution, meant to address Palestinian statehood, has now been postponed, further dimming hopes for diplomacy.
The G7 summit will discuss global security, trade, and the threat of regional war.
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