Keir Starmer sends urgent warning to Israel over Lebanon strikes as pressure mounts

Keir Starmer sends urgent warning to Israel over Lebanon strikes as pressure mountsKeir Starmer has ramped up pressure on Israel to stop its strikes on Lebanon as he warned of a "devastating" crisis in the country as he gave a statement to MPsCommentsNewsSophie Huskisson Political Correspondent17:57, 13 Apr 2026View 4 ImagesKeir Starmer has ramped up pressure on Israel to stop its strikes on Lebanon as he warned of a "devastating" crisis in the country(Image: AFP via Getty Images)Keir Starmer has ramped up pressure on Israel to stop its strikes on Lebanon as he warned of a "devastating" crisis in the country.‌The Prime Minister said the Middle East "remains on the edge" as a ceasefire brokered by the US, Israel and Iran is "highly fragile". He reiterated his demands for Lebanon to be "urgently" included in the agreement.‌And Mr Starmer slapped down Donald Trump's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz saying the UK wants the vital shipping route to be "open, not shut". He said the UK is "not supporting the blockade" and repeated his position that the UK "is not getting dragged into" the Iran war.‌In a statement lasting nearly two hours in Parliament, the PM told the Commons the UK must meet the challenge of the volatile world "calmly but with strength".He said the Strait has been "shamefully exploited by Iran" during the conflict and said Gulf leaders that he met last week were "crystal clear that freedom of navigation is vital and must be restored".READ MORE: 6 key points from Keir Starmer statement warning the world 'has utterly changed'View 4 ImagesThe PM said the Middle East "remains on the edge" as a ceasefire brokered by the US, Israel and Iran is "highly fragile"(Image: PRU/AFP via Getty Images)‌He told MPs: “Whilst the ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran is undeniably welcome, it is also highly fragile. Th...