Tehran: Ambassador to London, Seyed Ali Mousavi, has urged the British government to condemn the Israeli regime’s unprovoked airstrikes against Iran, which claimed the lives of dozens of Iranians, including military commanders and prominent scientists.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Mousavi, in a Friday meeting with British Minister for West Asia and North Africa, Hamish Falconer, urged Britain as a permanent United Nations Security Council member to ‘condemn this unlawful aggression against a sovereign UN member state.’ He also noted the UK’s recent positions on Israel and welcomed the recent sanctions against certain Israeli ministers, according to a post on the Iranian embassy’s X account.

Ambassador Mousavi reaffirmed Iran’s right to self-defense to be exercised at a time and in a manner of Iran’s choosing, and warned against any third-party interference or obstruction in the exercise of this right. For his part, Falconer expressed sympathy with the affected Iranian people, clarified the UK’s non-involvement and lack of prior knowledge of the Israeli attack, and emphasized the importance of diplomatic engagement to counter hawkish elements in the region and within the inner circles of the Donald Trump administration.

Overnight on Friday, the Israeli regime began a series of military strikes in and near the Iranian capital, Tehran, as well as other Iranian cities. Simultaneously, and anticipating a devastating Iranian response, Israeli minister for military affairs Israel Katz declared a state of emergency across Israel. Iran began its retaliatory strikes, dubbed Operation True Promise III, on Friday night, when it launched missile strikes targeting key positions across the occupied territories.