Foreign Secretary Lammy warns his Iranian counterpart over escalation with Israel

David Lammy has said he “cautioned” Iran’s acting foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani against mounting an attack on Israel, saying it would have “devastating consequences for the region.”

But reports from Iran suggested Bagheri claimed the UK and other European countries had failed to loudly condemn the assasination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, and had therefore wasted a chance for diplomacy.

After a telephone conversation between the pair on Tuesday, Lammy posted on X:”Further escalation in the Middle East is in no one’s interests. I spoke to Iran’s acting Foreign Minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, and cautioned that any Iranian attack would have devastating consequences for the region. Iran and all parties must urgently and immediately de-escalate.”

According to reports the Iranian minister said the failure of European diplomacy had allowed “the Zionist regime to continue its terrorist actions and to spread instability in the region.”

Bagheri also referred to the assassination of a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut as a further example of destabilisation by Israel.

Lammy responded by suggesting the current high tensions between Israel and Iran were a backward step to chances of s ceasefire in Gaza.