Reeves says UK could potentially defend Israel against Iranian attacks
Asked on Sky News what the UK would do if Israel asked for support with its operations, the chancellor replied: 'I'm not going to rule anything out at this stage'
The UK military could “potentially” defend Israel against Iranian attacks, chancellor Rachel Reeves has said.
Reeves said that while the UK is calling for de-escalation in the region, it is also sending military assets, including fighter jets, “to protect ourselves and also potentially to support our allies”.
Her comments followed those of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who confirmed that the UK was sending “contingency support” to the Middle East.Starmer confirms UK has moved fighter jets to Middle East to provide ‘support’
The Chancellor told the BBC that in the past the UK has helped “defend Israel from attacks” but would not get into what could happen in the future.
Speaking to Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, the chancellor said sending military assets to the Middle East and “it is right that we send jets to protect them”.
Pushed on the question of what the UK would do if Israel asked for support with its operations, the chancellor replied: “I’m not going to rule anything out at this stage. It’s a fast moving situation, a very volatile situation. But we don’t want to see escalation.”
Also appearing on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme Reeves said: “The thing that we have done in the past is defend Israel from attacks.
“We have never been we’ve never been involved in attacking with Israel. Those two things are very different.
“But I’m not going to comment on what may or may not happen. This is a very fast moving situation, we do believe that Israel has a right to defend itself.
“We are very concerned about Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“That would be incredibly dangerous for Britain and the rest of the world if Iran were to develop a nuclear weapon, and so we share those concerns.”
The UK sending more RAF jets to the Middle East “does not mean that we are at war”, Reeves added.
Shadow chancellor Mel Stride also told Trevor Phillips:”I think it’s right that the Prime Minister minister has said that fighter and refuelling planes should be sent into the region to make sure that we do what we can to protect those, given that the Iranians have said yesterday that they might be threatening them.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
