David Cameron called Hamas, the Houthis and Hezbollah proxies of Iran. Photo: Geoff Pugh for The Telegraph
Britain will not tolerate an escalation of Iran's “harmful” activities in the Middle East or on British soil, Lord Cameron has warned.
In his first newspaper interview since returning to government, the foreign minister described Hamas, the Houthis and Hezbollah as Iran's “proxies” who contributed to “extremely high” levels of “insecurity and instability” around the world.
With the UK's approach significantly toughened, the former prime minister told The Telegraph that Iran needed to send an “incredibly clear signal that this kind of escalation will not be tolerated.”
He promised the UK would work with allies to “develop a truly a strong set of deterrence measures” against Tehran.
<р>On Friday evening, the US pointed to intelligence showing Iran was “deeply involved” in planning Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The attacks are already causing major disruptions to supply chains across Europe.
Lord Cameron also cited “further evidence” of the “unacceptable threat the Iranian regime poses to the lives of British journalists” after it emerged Iranian spies had offered a people smuggler £150,000 to kill two news anchors of a London Persian-language news channel.< /p>
The Telegraph can reveal the Foreign Secretary summoned the UK's most senior Iranian diplomat to the Foreign Office on Friday over the revelation “to make clear these threats will not be tolerated”.
Since the beginning of last year, government officials say the Iranian regime has made more than 15 credible threats or plots to kill Britons or people living in the UK this year.
Lord Cameron's warning to Tehran signals growing alarm within the government over regarding the growing aggression shown by Iran and groups believed to act on its behalf, both in the Middle East and around the world, including in the UK.
Lord Cameron has vowed to play no role in the government's review of the Telegraph sale after questions were raised over his past links to the UAE. Photo: Jeff Pugh/Jeff Pugh
He made the remarks following a trip to France, Italy, Jordan and Egypt last week during which he held discussions on Iran, including an hour-long meeting with Emmanuel Macron, President France.
Outlining a plan of action, an approach he intends to apply for the first time to a variety of policy areas, Lord Cameron also:
- Said that “everything has changed” since, as prime minister, he proclaimed a “golden era” of relations with Beijing. He added: “We face a more aggressive and assertive China.”
- Vowed to “play no role” in a government review of the sale of The Telegraph following questions about his past ties to the United Arab Emirates.
- Warned that the prospect of any Hamas role in a two-state decision should be “beyond the pale.”
- Said he expected the UK to spend at least another 2 next year billion pounds in military support for Ukraine, adding: “I think we could potentially do better.”
< li>Acknowledged that past “economic and other support” sent to Gaza had been used by Hamas to build tunnels or “worse,” but insisted that current supplies awaiting delivery included “food, water, medicine, shelter.”
Lord Cameron described the “Iranian threat” as one of five significant “crises” creating “an extremely difficult time for the world”, along with with Russia -War in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East, terrorism and climate change.
He said: “Iran has an absolutely malign influence in the region and in the world – there is no doubt about that. There are the Houthis, there is Hezbollah, there are Iranian-backed militias in Iraq that are actually attacking British and American bases and troops.
“And, of course, Hamas. So you have all these proxies, and I think it's incredibly important that, first of all, Iran gets an incredibly clear message that this kind of escalation will not be tolerated.
Lord Cameron visited the Egypt-Gaza border last week. Photo: Jeff Pugh/Jeff Pugh
“Second, we need to work with our allies to develop a truly strong set of deterrent measures against Iran, and it is important that we do that. What. The level of insecurity and instability in the world is at an extremely high level compared to previous years and decades, and the Iranian threat is part of this picture.”
Lord Cameron said he was “extremely concerned” about the Houthi attacks “as Freedom of navigation and maritime safety are incredibly important, not just for Britain, but for the world.”
Houthi rebels have vowed to disrupt maritime traffic. in connection with the Israeli bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip, which has attacked at least 15 merchant ships since mid-November.
Previously in This month, the former prime minister announced a new sanctions regime on Iran, which included targeting Tehran's support for Hamas as part of the first wave of measures.
The UK will also send warships to take part in Operation Prosperity Sentinel, the international naval coalition created by the US to protect commercial shipping from attacks by Yemen's Houthi movement.
But Lord Cameron's warning suggests the UK is prepared to take action further action, including new sanctions, if attacks by Iran and its proxies continue to escalate. Asked if there were measures other than sanctions that could be applied now, he replied: “Not for public consumption.”
Lord Cameron this month announced new sanctions against Iran, including those aimed at Tehran's support for Hamas. Photo: Jeff Pugh/Jeff Pugh
He added: “I think the first thing to do is start Operation Prosperity Guardian.” , which we are participating in, and the second thing to do is to warn the Houthis and their Iranian supporters very clearly that we are not going to tolerate these ongoing attacks on shipping.”
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