The Marquess of Lothian asked her Majesty’s Government, “To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the tweet of the President of the United States on Friday 21 June that the United States had been “cocked & loaded to retaliate” following the shooting down of an unmanned United States drone in Iran, whether they were (1) given advance notice, and (2) consulted, by the United States authorities ahead of the planned United States military strike on 20 June against three Iranian sites; and what explanation they have (a) sought from, and (b) been given by, the government of the United States about that strike, particularly given British assets in that region.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office responded “We share the President’s concern about aggressive Iranian behaviour, particularly in the region. On 20 June, a US drone was shot down in international air space. Iran has claimed responsibility but argued the drone was in Iranian airspace. As we have consistently said, our priority remains finding diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions. The specifics of this operation are a matter for US authorities. We continue to monitor the situation. The UK remains in close coordination with international partners, including the US, to find diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions.”