'Stability in Middle East is priority,' says Starmer - as world reacts to strikes

Sir Keir Starmer has said stability in the Middle East is "a priority" following US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, as the world has reacted to the attack.

The prime minister also called on Iran to "return to the negotiating table" to "reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis".

Follow latest: Iran considering 'all options' after US strikes

In a statement, Sir Keir said: "Iran's nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security.

"Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat.

"The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority.

"We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis."

The UK was not involved in the strikes but was informed about them in advance by the US, Business Minister Jonathan Reynolds told Sky News' Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips.

Sir Keir and Foreign Secretary David Lammy had been pushing for a diplomatic solution. On Thursday, the prime minister warned of a "real risk of escalation" in the conflict.

The US struck three sites in Iran early on Sunday morning, with Donald Trump boasting the country's key nuclear sites were "completely and fully obliterated" in an address to the nation from the White House and warned there could be further strikes if Iran retaliates.

Read more:
What we know so far about US strikes
What happens next is largely in Iran's control

Netanyahu praises Trump

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Mr Trump for the strikes, saying: "Your bold decision to target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history...

"History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime the world's most dangerous weapons."

UN secretary-general 'gravely alarmed' by US attack

But UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said he was "gravely alarmed by the use of force" by the US against Iran.

"This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge - and a direct threat to international peace and security. There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control - with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world."

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged all sides to step back and return to the negotiating table. "Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon," she said in a post on X.

"I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation," she said, adding that EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation tomorrow.

How the world reacted to the strikes

The deputy chair of Russia's security council, Dmitry Medvedev, said on the Telegram messaging app: "Trump, who came in as a peacemaker president, has started a new war for the US."

Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on X: "We strongly condemn the US bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities, which constitutes a dangerous escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.

"The aggression seriously violates the UN Charter and international law and plunges humanity into a crisis with irreversible consequences."

Venezuela's foreign minister Yvan Gil said his country's government "condemns US military aggression" and "demands an immediate cessation of hostilities".

In a statement, an Australian government spokesperson said Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programme "has been a threat to international peace and security".

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said it is "crucial that there be a quick de-escalation of the conflict".

Italy's foreign minister Antonio Tajani said after the attack that his country's government hopes "a de-escalation can begin and Iran can sit down at the negotiating table".

The US attack came after more than a week of strikes by Israel, which have significantly degraded Iran's air defences and offensive missile capabilities, and damaged its nuclear enrichment facilities.

Israel's strikes on Iran have killed at least 865 people and wounded 3,396 others, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. The group said of those killed, 365 were civilians and 215 were security force personnel.

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