David Lammy has told MPs in his first Commons statement since Israeli airstrikes on Iran:”We do not mourn the deaths of the heads of proscribed terrorist organisations.”
Addressing the House, the foreign secretary added:”Let me be clear, the government unequivocally condemns Iranian attacks on Israel.
“This government has imposed three rounds of sanctions on Iranian individuals and organizations responsible for malign activity, most recently on the 14th of October, and we have consistently supported Israel’s right to defend itself against Iranian attacks and attacks by Iranian backed terrorists whose goal is to completely eradicate the Israeli state.”
Later, Lammy also said he did not support calls for a complete arms sale ban on Israel in response to the continued loss of life and humanitarian situation in northern Gaza.
Responding to a question from the Labour benches he said the humanitarian situation in Gaza was “dire” but he did not agree on a full arms embargo, giving the example of the missile barrage directed at Israel from Iran on October 1st.
“It would be quite wrong not to support Israel,” said Lammy on Monday.
The MP for Tottenham also noted how targeted Israeli strikes had hit military sites inside Iran including a missile manufacturer and an air defense base.
“This was in response to Iran’s escalatory ballistic missile attacks on Israel condemned across the House,” he said.
“These attacks were the latest in a long history of malign Iranian activity in its nuclear program, with their total enriched Iranian stockpile, now reported by the high AEA to be 30 times the JCPOA limit.
“And political, financial and military support for militias, including Hezbollah and Hamas.”
Lammy also appeared to shed light on on-going efforts to proscribe Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps by the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
He pointed to the difference between earlier proscription of terrorist organisations such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and a “state” linked organisation such as the IRGC.
