In the wake of a massive overnight airstrike by Israel on Iran, British political leaders are reacting with mixed messages.
Some are calling for calm, while others are firmly taking sides—especially when it comes to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Let’s break down where the UK stands, what happened, and what could come next.
Kemi Badenoch Comes Out Strong: “Iran Is an Enemy of the UK”
Speaking while on a visit to Scotland, Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch didn’t mince her words.
She made it very clear—she backs Israel’s decision to strike Iran, especially if it’s to stop nuclear weapons from getting into the wrong hands.
“Iran is an enemy of the UK,” she stated, pointing to Tehran’s past involvement in attempted terror plots on British soil.
“If Israel is stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons, they should not be condemned for that. I support it.”
According to her, the real threat isn’t the airstrikes—it’s Iran potentially building a nuclear bomb.
“If Israel sees Iran moving towards that, they shouldn’t sit back.
That would be catastrophic.”
Israel Launches Operation Rising Lion
The latest conflict flared up when Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, deploying over 200 jets to hit targets in Tehran and the city of Natanz—home to Iran’s nuclear facility.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the mission aimed to destroy key elements of Iran’s nuclear enrichment and weaponisation programs.
He also said the operation will “continue for as many days as it takes” to neutralize the threat.
Iran, meanwhile, has vowed revenge. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei promised “severe punishment,” adding fuel to an already volatile situation.
Solemn Calls for De-Escalation from Starmer, Lammy, and Macron
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer struck a much more cautious tone.
He urged both sides to “step back”, warning that more conflict “serves no one in the region.”
Starmer emphasized the need for diplomacy and stressed that “stability in the Middle East must be the priority.”
During a joint call with France’s Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Starmer acknowledged Israel’s right to defend itself, but argued strongly for a diplomatic resolution over military force.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy echoed the sentiment, pausing his US trip to respond to the crisis.
“Further escalation is a serious threat to peace,” he wrote on social media.
“This is a dangerous moment.”
The UK Was Left in the Dark
Interestingly, while the United States was informed ahead of the Israeli strikes, the UK was not.
This has added to some behind-the-scenes friction among Western allies, especially given the tensions over the ongoing situation in Gaza.
Despite that, US officials were quick to distance themselves.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio made it clear that Washington wasn’t involved in the strikes and that America’s main focus is the safety of its own troops in the region.
High-Profile Deaths Reported in Iran
There are unconfirmed reports that two senior Iranian military figures were killed in the attacks: Hossein Salami, head of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard, and General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of the armed forces.
Iranian state media is already treating these deaths as martyrdoms, which could be used to rally public support for retaliation.
Rising Oil Prices and Global Fallout
As expected, oil prices are spiking over fears of wider instability across the Middle East.
Analysts say the ripple effect could impact everything from fuel prices in the UK to ongoing diplomatic ties across Europe.
And while Kemi Badenoch says it’s clear “whose side we should be on,” others argue that restraint and diplomacy are more crucial than ever.
So What’s Next?
This situation is far from over.
While Israel seems determined to continue airstrikes if necessary, Iran has promised retaliation, and Western leaders are caught in the middle—trying to balance moral support, geopolitical interests, and the desire to avoid a full-scale regional war.
With international investigators watching closely and global markets already reacting, all eyes are on what Iran does next—and how the UK government responds in real time.