Metro – Retaliation is our right
Iran’s president has told Sir Keir Starmer that his country has the right to retaliate after a Hamas chief was killed in Tehran in an attack it believes was carried out by Israel, Metro reports. In a rare phone call PM Starmer urged President Masoud Pezeshkian to resist escalating the crisis in the Middle East. The paper says there are fears of a full-scale war.
Starmer calls Iran’s PM to urge him not to launch all-out attack on Israel
Sir Keir Starmer has made a rare phone call to Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian, urging him to ‘refrain from attacking Israel’, Downing Street has said.
There are growing fears Iran will escalate its conflict with Israel into an all-out war after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the country on July 31.
Mr Pezeshkian, who has been in office for barely a month, is considered a reformist by Iranian standards, but nevertheless vowed to make Israel ‘regret’ an air strike on Tehran which killed Mr Haniyeh.
It comes after Israeli forces faced widespread condemnation after bombing a school in southern Gaza this week, resulting in the deaths of up to 100 Palestinian civilians, many of whom were children.
During his call with Mr Pezeshkian, Starmer said he was ‘deeply concerned by the situation in the region and called on all parties to de-escalate and avoid further regional confrontation.’
The prime minister called on Iran to refrain from attacking Israel, adding that war was not in anyone’s interests, according to a Downing St source.
A No.10 spokeswoman said: ‘The Prime Minister underlined his commitment to an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza. He added the focus should be on diplomatic negotiations, to achieve those outcomes.
Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
If you are someone who reads every perspective of a story, here is a news summary of all of today’s front pages from today’s newspapers; summarised in a 2-minute read
Editorial 14 August 2024.
Wednesday’s front pages are dominated by domestic news, from political to showbiz, there is a variety of stories to sink your teeth into this morning. Several of the papers feature a sprinkle of international news, mostly surrounding the ongoing crisis in the Middle East as the government plans to evacuate Britons stuck abroad.
The back pages lead on the latest from the Premier League, including transfers, Manchester City’s 115 charges and England’s Test summer setback.