The UK could get sucked into a conflict if there is a significant response from Israel following Iran’s missile attacks, a former British ambassador has said.
Sir William Patey, formerly the UK’s most senior diplomat in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan, told GB News: “I don’t think they’ve lost quite so many people in quite such a short space of time.
“I think Israel has seriously weakened Hezbollah, for sure, and that must be the Israeli calculation that they’re on a bit of a roll.
‘They feel confident to ignore the president of the United States and calling for a ceasefire and a de-escalation, and the same calls that have come from the British and other governments, the Netanyahu government seems pretty confident they can ignore that.
“This escalation is one that has been predicted as Israel has ratcheted up its attacks on Lebanon.”
Asked if there could be a large-scale escalation, he said: “We’ll have to wait and see, as this attack has not been particularly effective, that the Israeli defence systems have performed well and have managed to shoot down most of the missiles.
“If that is the case, then we might get a more restrained response from Israel. But if some of the missiles have got through and there were serious civilian casualties, we can expect a significant Israeli response and that in itself could lead to a further Iranian response.
“We are in a dangerous period of possible escalation, which could lead to a wider war because, as your reports were saying, it could suck in the Americans.
“The Americans are committed to the defence of Israel, as is the United Kingdom, so other countries could get sucked in.
“If this was to grow, Iran doesn’t want a direct war with Israel. This is probably what they regard as the minimum to respond, after all, to what they would regard as slight loss of face and direct attacks on their interests.”
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