UK could send further capabilities to Middle East, minister says

The UK could send further capabilities to the Middle East if necessary, a minister has suggested after Iran launched a missile attack on a US military base in Qatar.

Luke Pollard told the Commons that additional RAF Typhoon jets announced by Sir Keir Starmer last week have arrived in the region to "deter threats and reassure our partners".

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He added: "I want to be clear, we will not rule out sending further capabilities if they are required, and we will take all steps necessary to protect our people and our assets."

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

He said the UK government "utterly condemns any escalation" and a diplomatic solution is needed.

"There is no route for Iranian military retaliation that brings this crisis to an end. The only offramp for Iran is to get serious and to return to diplomacy."

Iran's attack comes after America's strikes on Tehran's nuclear facilities over the weekend.

Qatar said its air defences intercepted the attack, which was at the US Al Udeid military base in Doha, and there are no reports of casualties.

The strikes came shortly after Qatar announced it was closing its airspace following a US security alert, while the UK Foreign Office had urged British nationals to "shelter in place".

Evacuations from Israel begin

Earlier, Foreign Secretary David Lammy had updated MPs on 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 on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, and has struck nuclear sites, military bases and civilian areas.

Iran insists its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes. It has retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel.

Mr Lammy said that an RAF A400 took 63 UK nationals and dependants to Cyprus on Monday, from where they will be taken to the UK.

He said more flights will follow, with those with the greatest need to be prioritised.

He also confirmed that one British national in Israel had been injured during Iranian missile attacks and had been offered consular support.

The UK had not begun evacuating civilians up to this point, saying it had to wait for airspace to open up before planes could be sent.

Mr Lammy said it was more difficult to support British nationals in Iran as airspace is closed and there is a "near total internet shutdown".

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He urged Iran not to retaliate against the US, telling MPs: "My message for Tehran was clear, take the off ramp, dial this thing down, and negotiate with the United States seriously and immediately.

"The alternative is an even more destructive and far-reaching conflict, which could have unpredictable consequences."

Mr Lammy also faced questions on the legality of the US strikes, but said it "must rightly be a matter for the US government in relation to their action".

"This was not our action. We have been clear that we were not involved," he said.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn accused the foreign secretary of "taking the public for fools" by refusing to answer the question directly, while shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel accused the government of hiding behind "vague language".

She added: "The British public deserve to know if their government supports degrading the threat of Iran to us and our allies, or whether it is all too happy to sit on the moral fence."

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