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David Cameron is to lead western calls for Israel to step back from a planned military response against Iran, despite Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting the Foreign Secretary’s personal appeal for restraint.
At the G7 foreign ministers meeting in Capri, Italy, on Thursday, Lord Cameron will continue to press for Israel not to mount a counter-attack following Tehran’s unprecedented barrage of missiles and drones on Saturday.
He will join G7 foreign ministers in reaffirming “the need to prevent a regional war following Iran’s malign and dangerous attack on Israel,” the Foreign Office said.
But after speaking to the Israeli premier on Wednesday, the Foreign Secretary admitted that it was “clear the Israelis are making a decision to act”. Mr Netanyahu told his war cabinet he was grateful for the “suggestions and advice” from the British and German foreign ministers, but it was up to Israel to make its own decisions.
The rejection of UK and US appeals not to escalate the conflict is a blow for western diplomacy, particularly following the deployment of aircraft from both countries in shooting down Iranian drones during the weekend action. Israeli government representatives made clear the Jewish state would continue to defend itself.
G7 foreign ministers are expected to agree a new raft of tough sanctions against what the UK government said was Iran’s “malign activity in the region”.
Despite calls from Israeli ministers for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be designated a terror organisation by the UK government, Lord Cameron did not commit to the measure.
British ministers have insisted that proscribing the IRGC would shut down diplomatic channels between London and Tehran, which are seen as key to helping Middle East stability.
The Foreign Office said Lord Cameron would campaign for coordinated sanctions against Iran, “ensuring the G7 shows a united front against Iran’s malign activity in the region”.
G7 foreign ministers will also push for an immediate pause in fighting in Gaza to get aid in and hostages out.
Following his talks with the Israeli premier and other government figures, Lord Cameron said: “It’s right to show solidarity with Israel. It’s right to have made our views clear about what should happen next.
“It’s clear the Israelis are making a decision to act. We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible, and in a way that is smart as well as tough.”
Ahead of the G7 summit, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said Tel Aviv was encouraged by the commitment of Lord Cameron and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, who was also visiting Israel to call for restraint, “to upgrade diplomatic pressure on Iran”.
The Israeli government hoped the international community would impose tough sanctions against Tehran including proscribing the IRGC, he said, adding: “These are the steps that send the right message to the tyrants of Tehran, that the international community will follow up their words with deeds.”
At the Capri summit, the Foreign Secretary will also call on his fellow G7 foreign ministers to increase support for Ukraine, debate a collective response to a more assertive China, and clamp down on illegal migration.
Lord Cameron will “make clear that partners in Europe and the G7 must spend more, produce more and deliver more to ensure that Ukraine can secure the victory that it deserves”, the Foreign Office said.
He will call on G7 partners to “work together to agree a clear and ambitious way forward to use sanctioned Russian assets to support Ukraine”.
