UK premier holds phone call with Israeli counterpart after strikes on Iran

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a phone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday following strikes on several Iranian nuclear facilities.

During the phone talk, Starmer "was clear that Israel has a right to self-defence" and expressed the UK’s "grave concerns" about Iran’s nuclear program, his office said in a statement.

The British premier reiterated the need for de-escalation and a diplomatic resolution, in the interests of stability in the region.

Israel launched a sweeping military operation against Iran early Friday, targeting its nuclear program and long-range missile capabilities. Several senior military officials and nuclear scientists were killed in the attack. The wave of attacks continued later in the day as well.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned "severe punishment" and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.