British foreign minister James Cleverly has urged Iran to use its influence with groups in the Middle East to prevent an escalation of Israel's conflict with Hamas.

Britain's Foreign Office said Cleverly spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Friday, telling him "Iran bore responsibility" for the actions of groups, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, that it has supported for many years.

However, the Iranian foreign minister presented a different account of the conversation, emphasizing that he told his British counterpart that the United States cannot guarantee Israel’s victory in the ongoing Gaza war, and “it can be held responsible for spreading the flames of war that will rebound on itself.”

The Iranian regime celebrated the October 7 terror attack by Hamas and has boasted of the power of its proxy forces in the region for confronting Israel.

Cleverly also reiterated that Iranian-backed threats against people in the United Kingdom were unacceptable and must stop, a Foreign Office spokesperson said.

An investigation by The Times of London has revealed more than six UK-based groups with ties to the Iranian regime and active in pro-Hamas rallies.

It comes amid rising fears that the Iranian regime’s influence on UK soil is deepening, as seen in the weekly pro-Palestine / pro-Hamas protests which have been shown to be fuelled by Tehran-linked groups.

Last year, threats against Iran International journalist resulted in the television network temporarily relocation its broadcast operations to Washington DC.

Britain has supported Israel's right to defend itself after an Oct. 7 attack by militant group Hamas that Israel said had killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and saw over 200 others kidnapped.

With reporting by Reuters