Starmer speaks to Trump after Uk joins defensive operation in Middle East
The uk prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, spoke with Donald Trump after the United States and Israel launched strikes across several Iranian cities, including the capital, Tehran; Starmer said British planes were "in the sky" on a defensive operation to protect people, interests and allies, and he stressed the UK did not participate in the strikes.
Uk planes in the sky and stepped-up protections
Starmer repeated during the phone call that British aircraft were part of a defensive operation "to protect our people, our interests and our allies" and said that protections for British bases and personnel had been stepped up to their highest level. He also said the defensive activity was "in line with international law" and made clear the UK was not involved in the US-Israel strikes.
Joint statement from France, Germany and the UK urges Iran to negotiate
In a rare joint statement signed by Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and Keir Starmer, the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom called on Iran to "refrain from indiscriminate military strikes", to curb its ballistic missile programme and to allow the Iranian people to determine their own future. The three said they did not participate in the strikes but were "in close contact with our international partners, including the United States, Israel and partners in the region. " They urged the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution and reiterated a commitment to protecting civilian life.
EU reactions: diplomacy, naval readiness and calls for restraint
The European Commission president described the developments as "greatly concerning" and said the EU was in "close contact" with diplomatic partners. 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. It reaffirmed a commitment to safeguarding regional security and nuclear safety and said it would work to prevent actions that could undermine the global non-proliferation regime. The EU’s Aspides naval mission remains on high alert in the Red Sea and "stands ready to help keep the maritime corridor open. " Emmanuel Macron has called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council, saying the war has "serious consequences" for international peace and security and must stop.
Domestic politics and Starmer's cautious line
Starmer is under pressure from the left to condemn President Trump’s strikes as "illegal" and from the right to offer open support. Military intervention is a sensitive issue for a Labour party described as still haunted by the Iraq war. The prime minister did not express direct backing for Mr Trump’s decision to strike Iran but said he agreed with the rationale; in a televised statement he condemned the Iranian regime as "utterly abhorrent", saying it had "murdered thousands of [its] own people, brutally crushed dissent and sought to destabilize the region" and posed "a direct threat" in the UK. He urged Iran to "give up their weapons programmes and cease the appalling violence and repression", while stopping short of calling for regime change.
Condemnations, threats and regional disruption
Starmer condemned Iran’s retaliatory attacks "on partners across the region" after explosions were heard in several Middle East countries with US facilities, saying many of the countries attacked were "not parties to this conflict" and calling Iran’s strikes "indiscriminate. " He warned that "even in the United Kingdom, the Iranian regime poses a direct threat to dissidents and to the Jewish community, " and said that "over the last year alone, they have backed more than 20 potentially lethal attacks on UK soil, " adding that Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has promised a "crushing" response to the US-Israeli attacks. The 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 showed a plume of smoke near the Fairmont The Palm hotel.
What happens next
Starmer chaired a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee to discuss Britain’s response. Emmanuel Macron has called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting; the EU and its Aspides naval mission are on alert while leaders press for negotiations. Officials have said diplomatic contacts will continue with the United States, Israel and partners in the region as the situation develops.
