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Sir Keir Starmer has put his cupboard on alert for a potential US assault on Iran, simply 24 hours after insisting Donald Trump had given no indication he was about to “become involved on this battle”.
British officers stated the state of affairs was “grave and unstable”, whereas the prime minister’s staff mentioned whether or not the president may search to strike Iran’s nuclear services from the joint US-UK air base at Diego Garcia.
Britain has up to now stayed out of the Israel-Iran battle and is decided to not do something that would result in the closure of its embassy in Tehran, a key western diplomatic publish within the Center East.
Starmer mentioned the potential for a US assault on Iran at a gathering of a Whitehall emergency committee on Wednesday, in line with officers briefed on the talks.
Contributors included senior cupboard ministers, army chiefs, intelligence bosses and US ambassador Lord Peter Mandelson.
The prime minister continued to name for “de-escalation” — the official cause why Britain has not supplied any help for Israel in defending itself from Iranian air assaults.
Starmer stated at a G7 summit in Canada on Tuesday there was “nothing the president stated that means he’s about to become involved on this battle”.
However British officers subsequently admitted Trump was unlikely to share his true pondering over dinner with western leaders — and that the White Home’s strategy to the disaster was an “iterative course of”.
The potential use of Diego Garcia, a base within the Indian Ocean, for US air strikes by B2 stealth bombers would draw Britain nearer to the battle.
One UK official stated there was not a transparent “sure or no” reply as to if Washington must search approval from Britain to make use of the bottom to launch an assault.
The UK final month signed a £3.4bn deal at hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, whereas retaining a 99-year lease on the air base at Diego Garcia, the biggest of the islands.
Israel’s ambassador in London on Tuesday stated defensive help from the UK had not been mentioned or requested.
This contrasts with how UK Royal Air Pressure fighter jets helped shoot down drones fired by Iran at Israel in April final yr. RAF plane additionally offered help throughout a missile assault by Tehran on Israel final October.
The UK additionally helped the US final yr in army strikes towards Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Any British involvement within the present disaster may elevate questions concerning the ongoing presence of UK diplomats in Tehran, a metropolis the place the US doesn’t have an embassy.
A Downing Road spokeswoman stated after the Whitehall committee assembly: “Ministers have been up to date on efforts to help British nationals within the area and shield regional safety, in addition to ongoing diplomatic efforts.”
Whereas Starmer has repeatedly emphasised Israel’s proper to defend itself and has stated Iran can’t be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, he has stopped in need of saying he would help US involvement within the Israel-Iran battle.
Any US assault on Iran may doubtlessly focus initially on the closely bolstered Fordow nuclear web site, which Israel lacks the bombs to destroy.
US bunker busting combs able to penetrating Fordow should be launched from American B2 stealth bombers, and Washington positioned at the very least six B2-As at Diego Garcia in March because it elevated stress on Tehran to agree a nuclear deal.
Consultants stated the US may launch B2 assaults from a house base in Missouri however the extra distance and refuelling wants could be an added complication to any mission.
A UK authorities spokesperson stated they’d “not touch upon hypothetical operations”.
In the meantime members of the family of British embassy and consulate employees in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem “have been quickly withdrawn as a precautionary measure”, the Overseas, Commonwealth and Growth Workplace stated.
That call stands in distinction to the FCDO’s present recommendation to UK nationals in Israel, who’ve been invited to register themselves with the British embassy or consulate however haven’t been instructed to go away the nation.
British officers stated the variety of individuals registering for recommendation and different consular assist was “within the low hundreds”, a lot of them twin UK-Israeli nationals.
The FCDO has issued recommendation that it’s nonetheless potential to go away utilizing industrial land routes by Egypt or Jordan, however has not advisable that UK nationals attempt to exit Israel.
“Our key message to British nationals is to observe the recommendation of native authorities and keep near shelter and to register their presence with the FCDO,” a Quantity 10 spokesperson stated.
