Sir Keir Starmer has spoken with the Iranian president as part of international efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, Sky News understands.
The 30-minute phone conversation with Masoud Pezeshkian followed a joint statement on Monday issued with France, the US and Germany calling on Iran and its allies not to “jeopardise the opportunity to agree a ceasefire and the release of hostages” in Gaza.
There are growing fears Iran will retaliate against Israel over the killing of a senior Hamas member, prompting the US to order the deployment of a guided missile submarine to the Middle East.
Sky’s Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall said it had been a “busy night of diplomacy” for Sir Keir, who warned Iran during the call that any retaliation risks pushing the region into an “uncontrollable war”.
He said it was a “very rare occurrence” for a British prime minister to speak to an Iranian leader and it “shows the value” of having a British embassy in Tehran – not something many countries, including the US, have.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
