Uk: Starmer speaks to Trump after US and Israeli strikes on Tehran and other cities
The uk prime minister spoke with US President Donald Trump after the US and Israel launched strikes across several Iranian cities, including capital Tehran; the call came as British planes were described as "in the sky" in the Middle East as part of a defensive operation. The move has sharpened diplomatic responses from European leaders and raised security warnings for British citizens in the region.
Starmer's call followed US‑Israeli strikes on Tehran and other cities
Sir Keir Starmer made the phone call to Donald Trump after the US and Israel launched strikes across several Iranian cities, including Tehran. Those strikes were carried out after negotiations to limit Iran's nuclear programme ended without a deal. Alongside the phone call, the prime minister reiterated that British planes were in the sky in the Middle East as part of a defensive operation and stressed that the UK did not participate in the US‑Israeli attacks.
Uk planes, stepped-up protections and defence framed as lawful
Starmer said that British planes were "in the sky" in the Middle East as part of a defensive operation "to protect our people, our interests and our allies, " and he reiterated that point in his call with Trump. He also said protections for British bases and personnel had been stepped up to their highest level, and made clear that the defensive activity was "in line with international law. " The government has maintained that it was not involved in the American and Israeli strikes.
Joint statement with Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz urging a negotiated solution
Sir Keir released a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz calling for Iran to "refrain from indiscriminate military strikes. " The three leaders said they had consistently urged the Iranian regime to end its nuclear programme, curb its ballistic missile programme, refrain from destabilising activity in the region and in their homelands, and to cease the appalling violence and repression against its own people. They added: "We urge the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution. Ultimately, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future. "
The joint statement also made clear the leaders did not participate in the strikes and said they were in close contact with international partners including the United States, Israel and partners in the region. In the UK, Starmer chaired a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee to discuss how Britain will respond to the attacks.
Domestic pressure, legal concerns over bases and Sir Keir's televised remarks
Starmer is navigating pressure from both sides of British politics: those on the left urging him to condemn Donald Trump's actions as "illegal" and unjustified, and those on the right pressing for open support. The Labour party's sensitivity to military intervention is linked in his party to the legacy of the Iraq war. He is thought to have previously blocked the US from using UK bases, reportedly over concerns about breaching international law, despite Mr Trump making it clear he wanted to do so.
In a televised statement the prime minister condemned what he described as the "utterly abhorrent" Iranian regime, saying it had "murdered thousands of [its] own people, brutally crushed dissent and sought to destabilize the region" and that it posed "a direct threat" in the United Kingdom. He urged Iran to "give up their weapons programmes and cease the appalling violence and repression, " while stopping short of echoing the President's desire for regime change.
Starmer also warned that "even in the United Kingdom, the Iranian regime poses a direct threat to dissidents and to the Jewish community, " and said: "Over the last year alone, they have backed more than 20 potentially lethal attacks on UK soil. " He argued that this made it clear Iran "must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. "
Regional fallout: threats of a "crushing" response, disruptions and injuries in Dubai
Iran's Supreme National Security Council has promised a "crushing" response to the US‑Israeli attacks. The prime minister condemned Iran's retaliatory attacks "on partners across the region" after explosions were heard in several Middle East countries hosting US facilities, saying many of the countries attacked "are not parties to this conflict" and calling the strikes "indiscriminate. "
The escalating situation has caused major disruption to air travel and security in the region, with hundreds of thousands of Britons potentially affected. In Dubai, four people were injured after an "incident" at a building in the Palm Jumeirah area, and eyewitness images and footage showed a plume of smoke near the Fairmont The Palm hotel.
European institutions have pushed for diplomacy: the EU said it is exploring "diplomatic paths" with Arab nations and called on all parties to exercise "maximise restraint" to protect civilians and respect international law. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen described developments as "greatly concerning, " said the EU was in "close contact" with diplomatic partners, and reaffirmed a commitment to safeguarding regional security and nuclear safety. She noted the EU's Aspides naval mission remains on high alert in the Red Sea and "stands ready to help keep the maritime corridor open. " French calls included an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to address what Emmanuel Macron called a conflict with "serious consequences" for international peace and security.
