JERUSALEM (Realist English). Israel’s Foreign Ministry has publicly criticized British Defence Secretary John Healey after he described Iran’s missile strikes last year as “proportionate,” posting a video of his remarks on social media accompanied by a clown emoji.
The ministry’s official account on X shared a short clip from an interview Healey gave earlier this week to Sky News at the Royal Air Force Akrotiri base in Cyprus.
In the interview, Healey said Iran’s current response to military strikes differs significantly from its actions in the previous year.
“We’re now in a position to judge better the nature of the Iranian response,” Healey said, adding that the recent attacks were “increasingly indiscriminate, rising and widespread.”
In the same remarks, he noted that Iran’s earlier retaliation in 2025 had been more limited.
“What is significant about this Iranian response is it’s different to last year. Last year it was proportionate; it was targeted only at military installations,” Healey said.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry sharply rejected that characterization, accusing the British official of adopting what it described as Tehran’s definition of military targets.
The ministry argued that Iranian strikes had hit hospitals, residential neighborhoods and universities, and said the comments suggested attacks on Israeli civilians were being treated as acceptable or proportional.
During the conflict between Israel and Iran last June, Iranian missile attacks killed at least 28 Israeli civilians, according to Israel’s Health Ministry. Iranian officials said Israeli strikes during the same period killed more than 600 civilians inside Iran.
The dispute marks the latest diplomatic tension between Israel and the United Kingdom, longtime political and security partners.
Earlier in the year, London imposed sanctions on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, accusing them of inciting violence against Palestinian communities in Gaza and the West Bank.
Relations between the two countries were also strained in October when Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after he condemned Chikli’s invitation of far-right activist Tommy Robinson to Israel.
The latest controversy comes amid broader tensions between Britain and the United States over the ongoing war involving Iran. London initially refused to allow Washington to use the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia to launch strikes against Iranian targets.
US forces have since used other British facilities for operations against Iranian missile sites. Over the weekend, B-1 Lancer bombers reportedly departed from bases in southern England to conduct strikes in the region.
US President Donald Trump has also criticized Prime Minister Starmer, describing him as “unhelpful” and accusing the British government of attempting to involve itself in conflicts after key military operations had already been completed.
