Starmer urges restraint in call for Middle East to ‘step back from brink’

Recent attacks on Israel expose Iran's "malign role" in the Middle East, the Prime Minister said on Monday.Sir Keir Starmer said the UK would continue to support vIsrael’s right to self defence after Iran launched almost 200 ballistic missiles last week in retaliation for a series of Israeli strikes on Lebanon which killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.The PM also reiterated calls for British citizens to leave Lebanon in a statement to MPs a year on from the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas.But he also urged Israel to show the "courage of restraint", as the country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu weighs up how to retaliate against the missile attack, while Hamas and Hezbollah launched further rocket barrages."We support Israel's right to defend herself against Iran's aggression, in line with international law, because let's be very clear, this was not a defensive action by Iran, it was an act of aggression and a major escalation in response to the death of a terrorist leader,” Sir Keir told the Commons."It exposes, once again, Iran's malign role in the region: they helped equip Hamas for the seventh of October attacks, they armed Hezbollah, who launched a year-long barrage of rockets on northern Israel, forcing 60,000 Israelis to flee their homes, and they support the Houthis, who mount direct attacks on Israel and continue to attack international shipping."He added: "I say again, an important message to British citizens still in Lebanon, you must leave now."