Government statement on the situation in Iran

On the situation in Iran, a government spokesperson said:

“Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that is why we have continually supported efforts to reach a negotiated solution.

“Our immediate priority is the safety of UK nationals in the region and we will provide them with consular assistance, available 24/7.

“As part of our longstanding commitments to the security of our allies in the Middle East, we have a range of defensive capabilities in the region, which we have recently bolstered. We stand ready to protect our interests.

“We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict.”

Background:

• The UK did not participate in these strikes.
• The Prime Minister will chair a Ministerial COBR this morning.
• The additional defensive capabilities deployed earlier this year to the Sovereign Base Areas includes radar systems, counter-drone systems, F-35 jets, and ground-based air defence.
• In January, we also deployed Typhoon jets to Qatar from the RAF's joint Typhoon squadron for defensive purposes.