UK's Cameron urges G7 to impose new sanctions on Iran

LONDON

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron urged the G7 Wednesday to adopt new "coordinated sanctions" against Iran after its weekend attack on Israel, ahead of a meeting with counterparts from the Western-led grouping in Italy.

The United States said late Tuesday it would soon impose fresh sanctions on Iran's missile and drone programme following the weekend assault, and that it expected its allies and partners to follow with parallel measures.

"What we want to see are coordinated sanctions against Iran," Cameron told British media during a visit to Israel, accusing Tehran of being "behind so much of the malign activity in this region".

"I think there's more that we can do to show a united front," he said of the G7, whose foreign ministers meet in Capri over the coming days.

Britain's top diplomat argued Iran must be "given a clear unequivocal message" over its support for Palestinian militant group Hamas, its Lebanon-based ally Hezbollah and Yemen's Huthi rebels.

"I hope that will happen at the meeting," he added.

Iran launched more than 300 missiles, drones and rockets against Israel over the weekend, in what it said was retaliation for a deadly strike on Tehran's consulate in Damascus. Nearly all of the projectiles were intercepted, and there was little damage.

During his trip Wednesday to Israel, which coincided with a visit by German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, Cameron held talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and is set to meet other senior leaders and officials.

They include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Israel Katz, as well as Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa.

Asked about fears of a wider regional conflict, Cameron called the situation "very concerning".

"It's right to show solidarity with Israel. It's right to have made our views clear about what should happen next but it's clear the Israelis are making a decision to act," he told U.K. broadcasters in brief remarks.

"We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible, and in a way that as I said yesterday, is smart as well as tough."