Newsletters
British government officials were aware in advance that Israel planned to launch strikes against Iran, though it remains unclear whether this information came through formal diplomatic channels, according to Whitehall sources quoted by Sky News.
The revelation comes amid conflicting accounts about the extent of Britain's foreknowledge of the Israeli military action. Initially, a Whitehall source suggested the U.K. had not been informed of the planned strikes, citing Foreign Secretary David Lammy's last-minute cancellation of a trip to meet American counterparts as evidence of the government being caught off guard.
However, two separate Whitehall sources later confirmed that officials within both the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence had been anticipating the Israeli strikes the day before they occurred.
The sources could not clarify whether the Israeli government had formally notified British officials or if the intelligence reached U.K. authorities through unofficial channels. This distinction carries significant diplomatic weight, as formal notification would indicate closer coordination between the two allies on military operations in the volatile Middle East region.
When pressed on whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer had direct communication with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prior to the strikes, Downing Street declined to comment. The prime minister's spokesperson refused to confirm or deny any conversations between the two leaders.
1 min read
