MI6 chief was British messenger sent to dissuade Israel from Iran strike

The high-ranking British official dispatched to Israel to discuss the Jewish state’s plans regarding a possible attack on Iran’s nuclear program was Sir John Sawyers, the head of England’s MI6 intelligence agency, The Daily Mail reported Tuesday night.

The British report followed a revelation in the Hebrew press earlier in the day that a telephone call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his British counterpart David Cameron prior to the Olympic games led Cameron to send an emissary to meet with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Jerusalem.

The message that Sawyers was said to have delivered was that Britain does not support unilateral Israeli military action against Iran at this time; instead, the reports claim, Cameron suggested that Israel allow more time for diplomacy and sanctions to deter Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon.

According to an Israeli source cited by Haaretz, Sawyers’ visit and other diplomatic overtures to Netanyahu from Germany and the United States have made a significant impact on the prime minister and his plans.

Ron Friedman and Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report