Middle East Crisis World Reactions

Starmer: Stands by my decision on the Iran war

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stands by the decision not to participate in the US and Israel's attacks on Iran, despite Trump's criticism, he says, according to Sky News.

He also defends the decision to let the US use British air bases for "defensive operations".

- It is not possible to shoot down every Iranian missile and drone when they are fired. The only way is to destroy them at the source, where they are stored or fired.

Britain only allows the US to use the bases for this specific purpose, Starmer adds.

Trump previously told The Telegraph that he is "very disappointed" with Starmer because the British delayed letting the US use their air bases. 

NATO Chief: Absolutely No Plans to Participate

NATO has “absolutely no” plans to participate in the US and Israel’s war against Iran, beyond assistance from individual member states. This is what the alliance’s Secretary General Mark Rutte told German ARD according to Sky News.

At the same time, he expressed support for the military operations.

– What the US and Israel are doing is really important, because it eliminates Iran’s ability to acquire nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, he says.

Lebanon bans Hezbollah from carrying out attacks

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has imposed an “immediate ban” on the Iran-allied Islamist movement Hezbollah from carrying out armed actions and demands that they hand over their weapons. This is reported by news agencies.

“The Lebanese state absolutely and unequivocally opposes any military action that does not fall within the legitimate framework carried out on Lebanese territory,” Salam said.

Mohammed Raad, a senior figure in Hezbollah’s political wing, responded that the government has no basis to “take bold and confrontational measures against Lebanese citizens who oppose occupation.”

Hezbollah has attacked targets in Israel following the weekend’s fighting between Israel, the United States and Iran. This has led to Israel attacking targets in Lebanon, including in the southern suburbs of Beirut. According to the Lebanese government, 52 people have been killed and 154 have been injured in the attacks.