Jeremy Hunt has said Britain would consider joining the US in military action against Iran.
Tensions between the US and Iran have increased in recent weeks after the downing of an American drone and claims by Washington that Tehran was behind attacks on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf.
The British Foreign Secretary’s comments came as Foreign Office minister Andrew Murrison held talks with the Tehran government at the weekend where he said he was “clear” about the UK’s concerns over Iran’s activities.
While campaigning in Scotland for the Tory leadership Mr Hunt said Britain would weigh up military intervention in Iran on a “case-by-case basis”.
We will stand by the United States as our strongest ally but of course we have to consider any requests for military support on a case-by-case basis.
“We will stand by the United States as our strongest ally but of course we have to consider any requests for military support on a case-by-case basis,” he told the Daily Mail.
“We do strongly believe that the solution is for Iran to stop its destabilising activity throughout the Middle East and we are very concerned about the sabotaging of tankers that has happened recently, which is almost certainly Iran, and we’re constantly in touch with the United States.
“We want to de-escalate the situation but we are of course extremely worried.”
Mr Hunt, who is battling to become the next British prime minister, earlier said he has been speaking to counterparts “regularly” about the Iran crisis which he called “extremely serious”.
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that he was seeking to build a “global coalition” against Iran, branding Tehran “the world’s largest state sponsor of terror”.
