Top Tory rebuts Israel on claim it had 'no choice' to attack Iran overnight
Richard Holden says the Israeli strikes on Iran as well as Iranian counterattacks overnight are "concerning".
The shadow paymaster general tells Sky News that the Israeli strikes "could lead to a broader escalation for the region".
He says: "What I want to see is stability restored, to see peace restored as quickly as possible, because I want to see us move towards a two-state solution for Israel, Palestine and also Israel normalising relations with its neighbours."
The shadow minister also rebuts Israel's claim that it had "no choice" but to attack Iran.
He says that "everybody has always got a choice on exactly what they do and when".
Holden explains that he doesn't know "the ins and outs of it" as he is not part of the government.
But he recognised that "Israel feels itself under constant pressure from regimes which say they want to wipe it off the face of the Earth".
UK could have a 'big role' in promoting peace
Asked if he believes Iranian claims that their nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only, Holden says that he doesn't "think anybody realistically believes that's the case".
He adds that Iran claims it doesn't fund proxies, which is "also clearly untrue".
The top Tory repeats his calls for a move "towards stability, calmness and de-escalation of the situation".
Asked what role the UK could play in this, Holden responds that Britain and its allies could have "a big role" in this.
He says: "We've got to play our role wherever we can in moving towards that, to promote stability and peace... but also enabling, wherever possible, some of those broader long-term relationships actually to develop as well."
But he also acknowledges that the government must be "realistic" in seeking a long-term peace.