ISRAEL'S ambassador to the UK has said “Europe owes a huge thank you” for its strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure, and claimed the attacks are "self defence".
Tzipi Hotovely insisted the operation was an act of self-defence and argued Iran had rejected diplomatic efforts to ease tensions.
However, planned talks on Iran’s nuclear programme - which were described by Iran as "optimistic" - were called off after the strikes.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that if the Israeli strikes on Iran stop, then “our responses will also stop”.
Hotovely told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “Europe owes a huge thank you to Israel for doing that, and the Gulf countries as well.
“Our region would have been a place that is not safe for anyone if Iran had accomplished their plan.”
Referencing past airstrikes on suspected nuclear sites in Iraq in 1981 and Syria in 2007, Hotovely added: “The international community owes a huge thank you to Israel and it’s the same case here.”
Her comments come amid international calls for de-escalation between Israel and Iran.
Previously, Rachel Reeves indicated that the UK could “potentially” support Israel amid the conflict and Keir Starmer confirmed the UK would send jets to the Middle East.
Israel has unleashed air strikes across Iran for a third day and threatened even greater force as some Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defences to strike buildings in the heart of the country.
The region braced for a protracted conflict after Israel’s surprise bombardment of Iran’s nuclear and military sites on Friday killed several top generals and nuclear scientists, and neither side showed any sign of backing down.
Iran said Israel struck two oil refineries, raising the prospect of a broader assault on Iran’s heavily sanctioned energy industry that could affect global markets.
The Israeli military, in a social media post, warned Iranians to evacuate arms factories, signalling what could be a further widening of the campaign.
US President Donald Trump has expressed full support for Israel’s actions while warning Iran that it can only avoid further destruction by agreeing to a new nuclear deal.
