Keir Starmer holds emergency Cobra over fighting in Middle East
It comes after US officials indicated that Iran has 24 to 48 hours to surrender and save itself from American invention as President Trump considers joining Israel's war. White House officials said the next two days will be critical in determining whether a diplomatic solution can be found to the burgeoning crisis in the Middle East. The families of British diplomatic staff in Israel have been 'temporarily withdrawn' as Tel Aviv and Tehran continue to exchange fire. But UK tourists in the country have been told to follow the advice of local authorities and remain near shelter.
Asked whether the Prime Minister was still confident that Mr Trump would not involve US forces in the conflict, a Number 10 spokesman said: 'The position remains that we want to de-escalate the situation, we want to de-escalate rather than escalate. We are clear that de-escalation is the right outcome for the Middle East, we are conscious, as the PM has said, that this has an impact on the lives of people in the United Kingdom. That is why the Prime Minister's been focused in recent days at the G7 on de-escalation and we will continue to be focused on de-escalation.'
Israel's air campaign against Iran entered its sixth day today, with jets striking the Iranian capital Tehran overnight. Israeli military chiefs said the air strikes targeted a facility used to make uranium centrifuges, part of Iran's nuclear programme, and a factory building missile components. Tehran has accused Tel Aviv of attacking civilians, while a US-based group Human Rights Activists said on Wednesday that Israeli bombardment had killed 585 people in Iran, including 239 civilians. In response, Iran has fired some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel, killing at least 24 people. But its response appeared to diminish on Tuesday night, with only 10 missiles intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is reported to be considering whether to deploy American forces in support of Israel's operations against Iran. Mr Trump met with top military advisers on Tuesday night to discuss the situation, shortly after a series of social media posts in which he described Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as an 'easy target'.
The posts followed Mr Trump's decision to leave the G7 conference in Canada a day early to deal with what he called 'big stuff', triggering speculation that American forces might join Israeli strikes. Earlier, Sir Keir Starmer had insisted Mr Trump was interested in de-escalation in the Middle East, saying 'nothing' he had heard from the president suggested Washington was poised to get involved.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner (pictured) said the UK Government has deployed jets to the Middle East for 'the safety of British nationals and the UK national interest'. Standing in for Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions, she said: 'In an era of global instability, we are working with our partners to urge de-escalation in the Middle East, put pressure on Russia to agree to a ceasefire and deliver security renewal for the British people.'
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King to warn of 'complex threats' facing UK and France - as Macron begins his first state visit
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Sky News
an hour ago
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The Guardian
2 hours ago
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