More UK jets being sent to the Middle East as Starmer calls for calm
More RAF jets are being sent to the Middle East, Sir Keir Starmer has said after Iran threatened to target UK, French and US bases if the countries help stop strikes on Israel.
The Prime Minister said further military assets are being deployed to provide 'contingency support' across the region amid escalating hostilities between the two long-time foes.
Additional refuelling aircraft have been deployed from UK bases and more fast jets will be sent over, it is understood.
The UK already has RAF jets in the Middle East as part of Operation Shader.
Speaking to reporters travelling with him on a visit to Canada, Sir Keir declined to rule out intervening in the conflict entirely but made clear he would continue pressing for de-escalation and said the 'intense' developments over the weekend would be discussed in detail at the G7 summit.
'These are obviously operational decisions and the situation is ongoing and developing and therefore I'm not going to get into the precise details, but we are moving assets, we've already been moving assets to the region, including jets, and that is for contingency support across the region. So that is happening,' he said.
Sir Keir added: 'Our constant message is de-escalate, and therefore everything we're doing, all discussions we're having are to do with de-escalation.'
Asked whether he would rule out UK involvement, he said: 'I'm not going to get in to that.'
Britain last announced it had deployed fighter jets in the region in last year, when the Government said British aircraft had played a part in efforts to prevent further escalation.
It comes after Iranian state media said Tehran had warned it would target US, UK and French bases in the region if the countries help Israel thwart Iran's strikes, according to reports on Saturday.
Iran launched missile and drone attacks on Israel overnight after a series of Israeli strikes on the heart of Tehran's nuclear programme and armed forces.
Tehran's UN ambassador said 78 people had been killed and more than 320 wounded in Israel's attacks, while its response was said to have killed at least three and wounded dozens.
A Cobra meeting of high-level ministers was convened on Friday afternoon to discuss the situation. The same is not expected on Saturday but Whitehall officials were expected to be meeting.
The conflict was ignited by early morning Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear bases on Friday.
Israel said the barrage was necessary before Iran got any closer to building a nuclear weapon, although experts and the US government have assessed that Tehran was not actively working on such a weapon.
Iran retaliated with waves of drones and ballistic missiles, with explosions lighting up the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Both the UK and the US have insisted they were not involved in the Israeli strikes and that the country acted unilaterally.
Sir Keir would not be drawn on whether the UK was given notice of Israel's attack after reports that the country was not forewarned following the Government's decision to sanction two far-right Israeli ministers last week.
'In relation to Israel, I had a good and constructive discussion with Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday, and that included discussions about the safety and security of Israel, as you would expect, between two allies,' he said.
Asked if Britain had been told in advance of Israeli's military plans, the Prime Minister said: 'I'm not going to go into what information we had at the time or since.
'But we discuss these things intensely with our allies. But I'm not going to get into precisely what we knew, because it's a constant flow of information between our allies, and between us and the US.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
37 minutes ago
- BBC News
Community calls for justice eight years on from Grenfell fire
Survivors and bereaved relatives of the Grenfell Tower blaze have demanded justice following the eighth anniversary of the 2017 tragedy. The blaze left 72 people dead, including 18 children, and is still being investigated by the Metropolitan a few months' time, work will begin to take down the 23-storey walked in silence through west London on Saturday evening before hearing the names of the dead and speeches by campaigners, as the tower loomed over them. London monuments were lit up including the BT Tower and London Eye and the Crystal Palace transmitting station. In Greater Manchester Salford Civic Centre was lit are concerns no-one has yet been prosecuted. Grenfell United vice chairman, Karim Mussilhy, lost his uncle in the inferno. He told the crowd: "Eight years have passed, eight years since the fire - lit by negligence, greed and institutional failure - tore through our homes, our families and our hearts."And still no justice has come. The truth is, there's almost nothing new to say because nothing has changed."As we stand here eight years on, the only decision this government has made is to tear down the tower - our home."He branded the disaster a "forgotten scandal". "The tower has stood not just as a reminder of what happened, but of what must change - a symbol and a truth in the face of denial, of dignity in the face of power, of our resistance, of our 72 loved ones who can't fight for their own justice."And now they want it gone, out of sight out of mind, a clear skyline and a forgotten scandal."There were cries of "shame" and "justice" from the final Grenfell Tower Inquiry report, published in September, concluded victims, bereaved and survivors were "badly failed" through incompetence, dishonesty and Sunday Kensington and Bayswater MP, Joe Powell, told the BBC's Inspirit with Jumoké Fashola: "The one thing I think everybody would agree on is that there should be criminal accountability. "And of course we can't pre-judge how far up the food chain it will go, in terms of companies that were found culpable in the inquiry report, but that is the expectation."Leader of Kensington and Chelsea council Labour group, Kasim Ali, said he lived 500 metres (about 1,600ft) from the tower and saw "horrifying" things. He said: "My fear is that people's lives have been taken for granted and no-one cared about, let's say, communities who lived in a council-owned property, who lived in social housing. "There is stigma around it and I think they have been ignored."He said he wanted the legacy of Grenfell to be housing fit for human habitation, adding: "What we are seeking... is justice. Who is responsible for what happened to 72 members of our community that we have lost?" News of the government's demolition decision this year was met with criticism from some bereaved and survivors of the 2017 fire who expressed upset and shock, saying they felt they had not had their views considered before the decision was Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner, later said she knew meeting those most closely affected was going to be "really difficult" and that there was "not a consensus" among everyone over what should happen to the Saturday, placards read, "This much evidence still no charges" and "Tories have blood on their hands. Justice for Grenfell".Large green papier-mache hearts were held aloft, had words including "hope", "integrity", "enough is enough" and "justice" written on Tower Memorial Commission has been consulting on plans for a permanent memorial of the tower, with recommendations including a "sacred space", designed to be a "peaceful place for remembering and reflecting".It is expected a planning application for it could be submitted in late 2026.
Telegraph
44 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Reeves refuses to apologise for ‘far-Right' grooming gang claims
Rachel Reeves has refused to apologise after Sir Keir Starmer dismissed demands for a national grooming gangs inquiry as 'far-Right'. The Chancellor said that the priority for the Government was the victims of the abuse and 'not people's hurt feelings about how they've been spoken about'. The Prime Minister announced on Saturday that he will commission a national inquiry, following months of pressure from his political opponents. Baroness Casey, appointed by the Prime Minister to carry out a 'national audit' into the grooming gangs, is expected to make the recommendation as part of her findings next week. In January 2025, Sir Keir said that those calling for a statutory inquiry were 'jumping on a bandwagon of the far-Right '. In the same speech, he accused politicians and activists of 'spreading lies and misinformation' about grooming gangs. Asked on Sky's Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips whether there would be an apology forthcoming next week, Ms Reeves said: 'The most important thing here is the victims, not people's hurt feelings about how they've been spoken about. 'The most important here is the victims of these evil crimes.' The Government initially focused its efforts on implementing previous recommendations, allowing councils to launch local inquiries and having Lady Casey review the situation. The scandal, which saw girls forced into sex by much older men, was first exposed in Rochdale, Lancashire, in 2011 and has been investigated in a variety of different forms. It re-entered the spotlight earlier in 2025 when Elon Musk, the Tesla billionaire, started repeatedly criticising Sir Keir and demanding a nationwide inquiry. On Friday, seven Asian men were convicted of sexually exploiting two white teenage schoolgirls in Rochdale. On Saturday, Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: 'Starmer has finally capitulated. Not because he wants to do the right thing but because he's been forced to. 'Starmer must now apologise for needlessly keeping victims waiting another six months and apologise for smearing and insulting campaigners'. In May, Lucy Powell, the Commons leader, was forced to apologise after accusing a guest on a panel show of using a 'dog whistle' when he brought up grooming gangs.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Former Socceroos manager left 'stranded' in Iraq amid escalating conflict between Israel and Iran
Former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has been forced to seek refuge in a high-security hotel in Iraq after being unable to fly home to Australia, according to reports. Amid escalating conflicts between Israel and Iran, flights have been grounded in Iraq with Baghdad airport being closed last week. The 61-year-old football coach, who was appointed Iraq's new coach in May, is said to be 'safe' but is 'unsettled'. The Courier Mail reports the football manager has told friends he was nervous that the US Embassy, located less than a kilometre from his hotel, had been closed by President Donald Trump last week. He had planned to stay in the country for a week after Iraq's international matches at the beginning of the month. A friend of Arnold's told the outlet: 'Arnie is stuck in Baghdad, the airport is closed. 'He is safe but unsettled and uncomfortable. He is staying at a high-security Baghdad hotel.' They added: 'Graham isn't saying much but the only worry is whether this could escalate to involve other countries. 'Hopefully, the airport opens in the next 24 hours.' It is understood that several other members of his coaching team are also unable to leave the country. Zeljko Kalac, a member of his coaching staff, is said to have left on the last flight out of Baghdad. Multiple airlines have been avoiding the airspace around Iraq, Iran and Jordan. Emirates and Qatar Airways have also cancelled flights to Iraq. It comes as Israel and Iran have launched multiple missile strikes against eachother in recent days. Arnold, who hails from Sydney, enjoyed a glittering 20-year career on the pitch, playing for Sydney United, Liege, and NAC Breda before he hung up his boots in 2000. He would later step into coaching, taking charge of the Australian national side on two occasions, while also taking charge of Sydney United and Northern Spirit. Arnold, an inductee of the Australian Football Hall of Fame, had taken charge of two matches for Iraq, before conflicts between Israel and Iran arose in recent days. On June 5, Iraq were beaten 2-0 by South Korea, Arnold's first game in charge of the National side. Five days later he claimed his first win as the country's head coach, beating Jordan 1-0 in their World Cup Qualifying match at the Amman International Stadium in Jordan. The football coach stepped down from his role as the manager of the Australian national side in September with two years left on his contract.
