London confirms having shot down Iranian drones and calls for de-escalation

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Sunday April 14 that British planes shot down a number of Iranian attack drones, as part of a “coordinated international effort” to intercept missiles and drones fired by Iran. DIn a video message broadcast from Downing Street, the head of the British government also considered that the Iranian attack was “dangerous and unnecessary”.

British Defense Minister Grant Shapps clarified on (ex-Twitter) that the United Kingdom had deployed additional planes in the region over the weekend “to reinforce” its presence, and that the drones intercepted by these planes had been “launched by Iran and its allies”.

Like other world leaders, the British Prime Minister called for de-escalation in the aftermath of this attack, while the UN Security Council is due to meet urgently on Sunday, as are the leaders of the G7 countries, which part of the United Kingdom. “What we need now is for calm to prevail. We will work with our allies to de-escalate the situation”said Rishi Sunak. “We defend the security of Israel and the region as a whole, which of course is important for our security here at home”he added.