Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will urge Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to show restraint in response to Iran’s missile and drone barrage amid concerns the Middle East crisis could spiral out of control.
The Royal Air Force joined allies in defending Israel, with British jets shooting down a number of Iranian attack drones.
Mr Netanyahu is considering how to respond to Tehran, with the US and UK urging calm.
In a Commons statement, Sunak said he would be speaking “shortly” to Netanyahu “to express our solidarity with Israel in the face of this attack and to discuss how we can prevent further escalation”.
“All sides must show restraint,” the Prime Minister said.
But with Netanyahu and his war cabinet still considering the response to the attack, it is unlikely that Sunak will be able to speak to the Israeli premier on Monday.
Iran launched about 350 drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday, but the majority were intercepted before they could reach their targets.
The onslaught followed Israel’s targeting of an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria earlier this month.
Iran has been blamed for supporting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon which have targeted Israel, along with the Houthi group in Yemen which has mounted attacks on Red Sea shipping.
Sunak told the Commons: “With this attack Iran has once again shown its true colours. They are intent on sowing chaos in their own back yard, on further destabilising the Middle East.
“Our aim is to support stability and security because it is right for the region and because although the Middle East is thousands of miles away, it has a direct effect on our security and prosperity at home.
“So, we’re working urgently with our allies to de-escalate the situation and prevent further bloodshed. We want to see calmer heads prevail and we’re directing all our diplomatic efforts to that end.”
The Prime Minister indicated that a diplomatic response from the UK and allies in the G7 group of leading democracies would be decided “in the coming days”.
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron earlier urged Israel to be “smart as well as tough” by not escalating the conflict with Iran.
Israel should recognise Tehran’s attack at the weekend as an “almost total failure” and “think with head as well as heart” in its response, the Foreign Secretary said during a round of broadcast interviews.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said there was “no doubt” the attack “has left the world a more dangerous place” and said Iran “must be wholly condemned by all”.
