The UK might ship additional capabilities to the Center East if vital, a minister has recommended after Iran launched a missile assault on a US army base in Qatar.
Luke Pollard informed the Commons that extra RAF Hurricane jets introduced by Sir Keir Starmer final week have arrived within the area to “deter threats and reassure our partners”.
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, mentioned it’s a “fast-changing” state of affairs which Downing Road is monitoring carefully.
He mentioned the UK authorities “utterly condemns any escalation” and a diplomatic resolution is required.
“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 assault comes after America’s strikes on Tehran’s nuclear services over the weekend.
Qatar mentioned its air defences intercepted the assault, which was on the US Al Udeid army base in Doha, and there are not any stories of casualties.
The strikes got here shortly after Qatar introduced it was closing its airspace following a US safety alert, whereas the UK Overseas Workplace had urged British nationals to “shelter in place”.
Evacuations from Israel start
Earlier, Overseas Secretary David Lammy had up to date MPs on the escalating battle, amid efforts to evacuate British nationals from Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Israel started strikes in opposition to Iran earlier this month, claiming Tehran was on the verge of growing nuclear weapons, and has struck nuclear websites, army bases and civilian areas.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is just for peaceable functions. It has retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel.
Mr Lammy mentioned that an RAF A400 took 63 UK nationals and dependants to Cyprus on Monday, from the place they are going to be taken to the UK.
He mentioned extra flights will comply with, with these with the best must be prioritised.
Picture:
The positioning of an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv, Israel on Sunday. Pic: AP
He additionally confirmed that one British nationwide in Israel had been injured throughout Iranian missile assaults and had been supplied consular help.
The UK had not begun evacuating civilians up thus far, saying it needed to anticipate airspace to open up earlier than planes might be despatched.
Mr Lammy mentioned it was tougher to help British nationals in Iran as airspace is closed and there’s a “near total internet shutdown”.
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He urged Iran to not retaliate in opposition to 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 choice is an much more damaging and far-reaching battle, which might have unpredictable penalties.”
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The place does the UK stand on US-Iran strikes?
Mr Lammy additionally confronted questions on the legality of the US strikes, however mentioned 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 mentioned.
SNP Westminster chief Stephen Flynn accused the overseas secretary of “taking the public for fools” by refusing to reply the query immediately, whereas shadow overseas secretary Dame Priti Patel accused the federal 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.”
