- Britain announces plan to deploy fighter jets to Middle East
- Nigeria calls for cessation of hostilities
US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin yesterday had a telephone conversation on the hostilities between Iran and Israel.
Putin decried Israeli attacks on Iran, as the two leaders considered returning to discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Russian news agencies quoted top Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov as saying that Putin also confirmed Russia’s readiness to press on with negotiations with Ukraine.
The agencies quoted Ushakov as saying the two presidents spoke for about 50 minutes.
He described the talk as meaningful and useful.
Meanwhile, Britain says it will deploy fighter jets and other assets to the Middle East following the conflict.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke after Iran warned the UK, US and France that their bases in the region will be targeted if they help Israel stop Tehran’s strikes.
RAF jets and military assets are being sent to the Middle East after Tehran warned the UK and other allies their regional bases would be targeted if they helped defend Israel in the growing conflict between the two heavily armed countries.
Speaking to reporters on the way to the G7 in Canada, the prime minister refused to rule out provided military support to Israel as it did last October during a ballistic military attack by Tehran.
The UK has not intervened in any military action since Israel strikes began on Friday.
But the prime minister refused to engage on whether the UK would get involved as it did last year when I asked him on the flight to Canada.
“I am not going to get into that,” Sir Keir said.
“These are obviously operational decisions and the situation is ongoing and developing and therefore I’m not going to get into the precise details, but we are moving assets, we’ve already been moving assets to the region, including jets, and that is for contingency support across the region. So that is happening.”
Starmer also refused to comment on reports that the UK did not have any advance notice of the Israeli strikes that have trigged the most intense fighting between Tel Aviv and Tehran in decades.
“I’m not going to go into what information we had at the time or since. But we discuss these things intensely with our allies. But I’m not going to get into precisely what we knew, because it’s a constant flow of information between our allies, and between us and the US,” he added.
In a related development, French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday said he has spoken with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian.
Writing on his X handle, Macron said he had called for the country’s diplomatic facilities and nationals in Iran and the wider region “not to be targeted under any circumstances”.
“I also urged the utmost restraint to avoid escalation,” he said.
Read Also: Iran-Israel: Nigeria calls for cessation of hostilities
Macron said he had invited Pezeshkian “to return swiftly to the negotiating table to reach an agreement”.
As various world leaders intensify efforts to attenuate the tension, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it has “established aerial superiority from western Iran to Tehran.”
In Tehran, Iranian state TV reported that around 60 people, including 20 children, had been killed in an attack on a housing complex, with more strikes reported across the country.
Israel said it had attacked more than 150 targets.
In Israel, air raid sirens sent residents into shelters as waves of missiles streaked across the sky and interceptors rose to meet them.
Nigeria calls for cessation of hostilities
Nigeria has expressed grave concern over ongoing hostilities between Iran and Israel.
The Federal Government urged both countries to exercise restraints.
Israeli authorities had on Monday morning bombarded the Iranian military facilities, killing three top military brass in the process.
The Iranian authorities retaliated with series of missile launchers later in the day.
Reacting to the situation, the federal government in a statement signed by the spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, Nigeria warned that the hostility will not only endanger civilian lives but will plunge the broader Middle East into further instability, with implications for international security and economic development.
The statement reads: “The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria condemns Israel’s preemptive strike on Iran that has led to an escalation of hostilities between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the State of Israel, marked by sustained missile and aerial exchanges across both territories.
“Nigeria expresses its grave concern and calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urges both parties to exercise utmost restraint in the interest of regional and global peace. The continued cycle of retaliation not only endangers civilian lives but threatens to plunge the broader Middle East into further instability, with implications for international security and economic development.
“As a nation deeply committed to the principles of peaceful coexistence, non-aggression, and multilateral diplomacy, Nigeria calls on all involved to prioritise dialogue over confrontation. We urge the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council, to intensify efforts toward immediate de-escalation and to provide a platform for constructive engagement.
“We reiterate that military action is not a substitute for negotiation. The path to lasting peace lies in diplomacy, mutual respect, and adherence to international law. Nigeria stands ready to support all genuine efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions and promoting peace in the region.”