As tensions escalate between Israel and Iran, UK leaders and diplomats are engaged in a flurry of behind-the-scenes communications, navigating the unfolding crisis with calculated caution. With no signs of an immediate resolution, officials expect the diplomatic workload to intensify in the days ahead.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is currently operating two active “crisis centres” — one focused on the Middle East conflict, and the other on Thursday’s devastating plane crash in Ahmedabad, India, which claimed over 270 lives. Both were activated within the past 48 hours.
While Downing Street has refrained from explicitly endorsing Israel’s military strikes on Iranian targets, government messaging has consistently referred to the UK’s “long-held grave concerns” about Iran’s nuclear ambitions — the very basis on which Israel launched its offensive.
In interviews and diplomatic readouts, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has maintained a careful tone. “We’re not getting into an assessment of the rights and wrongs,” one Whitehall source noted, underlining the government’s neutral posture. However, it is understood that UK officials had been preparing for the possibility of Israeli strikes for over a year. A contingency planning session chaired by Foreign Secretary David Lammy took place earlier this week, reviewing the government’s response options.
Starmer spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday at Netanyahu’s request. The 15-minute call focused exclusively on the regional crisis. A separate conversation of similar length occurred between Starmer and U.S. President Donald Trump, in which, beyond exchanging birthday greetings, they too discussed the Israel-Iran situation.
Foreign Secretary Lammy, meanwhile, has held a string of calls with Middle Eastern leaders, including counterparts in Iran, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. He also joined a joint meeting with foreign ministers from France, Germany, and Italy, alongside EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas, as Western powers seek to coordinate their diplomatic response.
While a full ministerial-level COBRA meeting is not expected today, senior officials from multiple departments will continue to meet throughout the weekend.
In a further development, French officials informed the UK that a planned UN summit on a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict has been postponed due to the current instability.
Starmer is scheduled to travel to Ottawa later today for talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Their discussions are expected to focus on international security and trade. On Sunday, the G7 summit will open in Alberta, Canada, where the escalating crisis in the Middle East is set to dominate the agenda.
