Sunak urges Iran to de-escalate after militia drone strike kill US troops

The Prime Minister expressed his concern on Monday about the attack near the Syrian border which has raised fears about an escalating military conflict in the region.

Joe Biden has blamed Iran-backed militias for what were the first US fatalities after months of strikes against US forces since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

The president has vowed that the US “shall respond” as Iran-back fighters in eastern Syria reportedly began evacuating their posts fearing air strikes.

At least 34 US troops were also said to have been injured in the strike on the support base known as Tower 22 on Sunday.

Speaking to broadcasters on a trip to the north-east, Mr Sunak said: “We are concerned and would urge Iran to continue to de-escalate tensions in the region.

“We absolutely condemn what has happened over the past couple of days.

“My thoughts are with all of those impacted, those who lost their lives, their families and those that are injured.

“We stand resolutely with our allies to bring stability and peace to the region. And that’s what we’ll continue to work towards.”

US officials were working to identify the group behind the attack but have so far assessed that one of several Iranian-aligned groups was responsible.

Downing Street blamed “radical Iran-backed militant groups” for the strike as it backed the US assessment.

Mr Biden said in a written statement that the US “will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner (of) our choosing”.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman declined to comment on whether it would back any US reprisals, but said: “We will stand with our US allies in our continued and shared fight against terrorism.”

He insisted that Britain was working to “ensure regional stability” and was “very alive to” the desire for some groups to stoke instability.

Meanwhile, Britain unveiled sanctions against seven Iran-linked individuals said to have played a role in threats to life or assassinations overseas.

Sir Keir Starmer said those behind the drone strike should be “held to account” but expressed fears about the febrile situation widening.

Speaking during a visit to the north-west, the Labour leader told broadcasters: “I am concerned about the possibility of escalation of an already dangerous situation in the Middle East.

“So we have to see this in that context and do everything that we can to ensure there isn’t escalation of the conflict, and on the contrary, that we find ways to bring this conflict to the immediate end.”

US forces have long used Jordan, a kingdom bordering Iraq, Israel, the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, Saudi Arabia and Syria, as a base.

Since Hamas launched its attack on Israel on October 7, Iranian-backed militias have struck American military installations in Iraq more than 60 times.

In Syria, they have struck more than 90 times with drones, rockets, mortars and ballistic missiles.

Militias have said that their strikes are in retaliation for Washington’s support for Israel in the war in Gaza, and aim to push US forces out of the region.

The US in recent months has hit targets in Iraq, Syria and Yemen in response to attacks on its forces and to diminish the threats from Iranian-backed Houthi rebels to commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

Britain has joined two strikes against the militants in Yemen, though they so far seem to have done little to deter Houthi action.

A British-linked oil tanker went up in flames after a strike claimed by the Yemen-based group on Friday before a further attack on HMS Diamond, the British destroyer stationed in the Red Sea, was successfully repelled.

The Ministry of Defence earlier branded ongoing action by the Houthis as “intolerable and illegal” and said Britain and its allies “reserve the right to respond appropriately”.