British Foreign Secretary David Cameron described Iran as having a "completely malicious influence in the region and the world," pledging in an interview published on Sunday to strengthen deterrence measures against Tehran. Cameron's warning comes alongside allegations from Washington on Friday accusing Iran of being involved in attacks targeting ships in the Red Sea from Yemen, providing drones, missiles, and intelligence to the Houthis.
On Saturday, the Pentagon announced in a statement following the targeting of a suicide drone at a chemical materials tanker off the coast of India that the drone "was launched from Iran." Cameron, who visited the Middle East this week and discussed the Israeli war in Gaza and the turbulent situation in the Red Sea with his Egyptian counterpart, accused Tehran of supporting several "agents" in the region.
In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Cameron described Iran as posing a "completely malicious influence in the region and the world. There is no doubt about that." He stated: "You have the Houthis, Hezbollah, Iranian-backed militias in Iraq attacking British and American bases and forces, and of course, Hamas as well."
He added: "So you have all these agents, and I think it is crucial, first and foremost, that Iran receives a very clear message that this escalation will not be tolerated." Cameron, who returned to politics after stepping down as Prime Minister following his loss in the Brexit referendum in 2016, confirmed that London would enhance cooperation with its allies regarding Tehran.
He said, "We need to work with our allies to develop a strong package of deterrence measures against Iran, and it is important that we do that." He added that "the level of danger and insecurity in the world is at its highest compared to previous years and decades, and the Iranian threat is part of that picture."
Britain is participating with warships in the U.S.-led "Operation Sentinel" to protect commercial shipping movements in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks. Earlier this month, Britain also announced new sanctions targeting "decision-makers in Iran and those implementing their instructions," including Ismail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
When asked if London was prepared to impose further measures, Cameron replied that this "is not for public discussion," but he indicated that Britain wants to send "a very clear warning to the Houthis and their Iranian backers that we will not tolerate these ongoing attacks on shipping lines."
