The UK government is very busy this weekend, dealing with two serious situations at the same time. One is the growing conflict between Israel and Iran, and the other is a plane crash in Ahmedabad, India. Both issues are being closely watched by British leaders and diplomats.
At the Foreign Office, two special “crisis centres” were set up in the past two days. One team is focusing on the situation in the Middle East. The other team is managing the plane crash incident in India. These teams are working day and night, making phone calls and sending WhatsApp messages to leaders and officials around the world.
UK’s Careful Public Statements
The British government is trying to stay neutral in public. In interviews and official statements, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other officials are not clearly saying whether they support Israel’s actions or not. Instead, they keep repeating that the UK has had “long-held serious concerns” about Iran’s nuclear program. This is the same nuclear program that Israel is now trying to stop with its strikes.
According to Whitehall officials, the UK expected that something like this might happen. They say that they started preparing for an Israeli attack on Iran as early as April last year.
Planning Ahead: UK Response Meeting
Just this past Monday, Foreign Secretary David Lammy led a “table-top exercise”. This was a special planning meeting where British officials discussed how they would respond if a conflict like this took place. One UK government source said, “We were very aware that something like this could happen at any time.”
Still, UK officials are not publicly saying if they believe Israel is right or wrong in this case.
Talks with Global Leaders Continue
Prime Minister Starmer spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That call lasted about 15 minutes and was made at Netanyahu’s request. Starmer also spoke to former US President Donald Trump, who just turned 79. That call was also short and focused only on the Israel-Iran conflict.
On Friday, Foreign Secretary David Lammy spoke to leaders in the Middle East, including representatives from Iran, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. On Saturday, he is expected to continue these discussions with more regional officials. Lammy also had a joint meeting with the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Italy, as well as with the EU’s foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas.
No Cobra Meeting – But Monitoring Continues
Right now, there are no plans for a minister-level COBRA emergency meeting, but officials from many UK departments are meeting today to review the latest developments. The government is staying alert and ready to act if needed.
UN Summit Postponed
French officials told the UK last night that the UN summit focused on finding a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict has been postponed. This means that international peace efforts are being delayed, at least for now.
G7 Summit and Canada Visit
Prime Minister Starmer is heading to Ottawa, Canada, later today. He will meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and their talks will focus on trade and security. On Sunday, G7 leaders will gather in the Canadian province of Alberta for their yearly summit. The crisis in the Middle East will be one of the main topics of the summit.
This is a Breaking News situation, and the Daily news highlights are changing quickly. The UK government is walking a fine line by staying involved behind the scenes but avoiding strong public statements. Diplomacy is now more important than ever, as world leaders try to reduce tensions and avoid a bigger war.
