On a visit to Israel Wednesday, just four days after Tehran’s missile and drone attack, British Foreign Minister David Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on all parties to avoid escalating tensions in the region. The call of the ministers came against the backdrop of several statements by Israeli leaders on the government’s intention to retaliate militarily after the Iranian strike.
Meeting separately today with Cameron and Baerbock, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted in a statement issued by his office that "Israel must preserve its right to self-defense." Addressing a cabinet meeting later on, Netanyahu said, "Our allies have all sorts of proposals and [advice]. I appreciate that. But I want to make it clear: We will make our own decisions, and the state of Israel will do whatever it takes to defend itself."
Tehran said the weekend attack, which involved over 300 drones and missiles fired at Israeli territory, was in retaliation for the April 1 strike on its consulate in Damascus that killed seven Iranian military officials, including two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, and was widely attributed to Israel.
Netanyahu thanked both the UK and Germany for supporting and assisting Israel's defense. He noted that he had spoken on the phone with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday and that he intends to also speak soon with other world leaders. British fighter jets departing from Cyprus helped intercept some of the more than 300 Iranian drones and missiles fired overnight Saturday, as did French military jets based in Jordan.
