UK could send further capabilities to Middle East, minister says

The UK could nonstop further capabilities to the Middle East if necessary, a curate has suggested aft Iran launched a rocket onslaught connected a US subject basal successful Qatar.

Luke Pollard told the Commons that further RAF Typhoon jets announced by Sir Keir Starmer past week person arrived successful the portion to "deter threats and reassure our partners".

Israel-Iran latest: Follow unrecorded updates

He added: "I privation to beryllium clear, we volition not regularisation retired sending further capabilities if they are required, and we volition instrumentality each steps indispensable to support our radical and our assets."

Mr Pollard, the equipped forces minister, said it is simply a “fast-changing” concern which Downing Street is monitoring closely.

He said the UK authorities "utterly condemns immoderate escalation" and a diplomatic solution is needed.

"There is nary way for Iranian subject retaliation that brings this situation to an end. The lone offramp for Iran is to get superior and to instrumentality to diplomacy."

Iran's onslaught comes aft America's strikes connected Tehran's atomic facilities implicit the weekend.

Qatar said its aerial defences intercepted the attack, which was astatine the US Al Udeid subject basal successful Doha, and determination are nary reports of casualties.

The strikes came soon aft Qatar announced it was closing its airspace pursuing a US information alert, portion the UK Foreign Office had urged British nationals to "shelter successful place".

Evacuations from Israel begin

Earlier, Foreign Secretary David Lammy had updated MPs connected the escalating conflict, amid efforts to evacuate British nationals from Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

Israel began strikes against Iran earlier this month, claiming Tehran was connected the verge of processing atomic weapons, and has struck atomic sites, subject bases and civilian areas.

Iran insists its atomic programme is lone for peaceful purposes. It has retaliated with rocket and drone strikes connected Israel.

Mr Lammy said that an RAF A400 took 63 UK nationals and dependants to Cyprus connected Monday, from wherever they volition beryllium taken to the UK.

He said much flights volition follow, with those with the top request to beryllium prioritised.

He besides confirmed that 1 British nationalist successful Israel had been injured during Iranian rocket attacks and had been offered consular support.

The UK had not begun evacuating civilians up to this point, saying it had to hold for airspace to unfastened up earlier planes could beryllium sent.

Mr Lammy said it was much hard to enactment British nationals successful Iran arsenic airspace is closed and determination is simply a "near full net shutdown".

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He urged Iran not to retaliate against the US, telling MPs: "My connection for Tehran was clear, instrumentality the disconnected ramp, dial this happening down, and negociate with the United States earnestly and immediately.

"The alternate is an adjacent much destructive and far-reaching conflict, which could person unpredictable consequences."

Mr Lammy besides faced questions connected the legality of the US strikes, but said it "must rightly beryllium a substance for the US authorities successful narration to their action".

"This was not our action. We person been wide that we were not involved," helium said.

SNP Westminster person Stephen Flynn accused the overseas caput of "taking the nationalist for fools" by refusing to reply the question directly, portion shadiness overseas caput Dame Priti Patel accused the authorities of hiding down "vague language".

She added: "The British nationalist merit to cognize if their authorities supports degrading the menace of Iran to america and our allies, oregon whether it is each excessively blessed to beryllium connected the motivation fence."