UK PM Sunak urges Iran to de-escalate tensions after Jordan drone strike

'We are concerned and would urge Iran to continue to de-escalate tensions in the region,' says British PM Sunak

LONDON:

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday he was concerned about tensions in the Middle East and urged Iran to de-escalate, after an attack that killed three US service members in northeastern Jordan near Syria's border.

Sunak said Britain "absolutely condemned" the drone attacks which US President Joe Biden said had been carried out by Iran-backed militants.

"We are concerned and would urge Iran to continue to de-escalate tensions in the region," Sunak told broadcasters.

"We stand resolutely with our allies to bring stability and peace to the region and that's what we continue to work towards."

Read also: Three US troops killed, up to 34 injured in Jordan drone strike

Sunak's spokesperson told reporters: "We believe that the attack was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq, in line with the US assessment."

"We're continuing to use all our capabilities, diplomatic and otherwise, to de-escalate tensions in the region," he said, citing attacks on Red Sea shipping that have seen Britain take part in strikes against Houthi militants in Yemen.

The attack, which also wounded 34 US service personnel, is the first deadly strike against US forces since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, and marks a major escalation in tensions that have engulfed the Middle East.

Iran's mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Monday that Tehran was not involved in the attack, though its minister of intelligence said that Iranian-aligned regional armed groups respond to "American aggressors" at their own discretion.