The UK could provide military support to America if Donald Trump decides to join Israel in bombing Iran, it has emerged.
Keir Starmer chaired a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee on Wednesday afternoon as the US president dropped a huge hint that he will send US bombers to the Middle East.
Among the topics discussed was whether American planes should be able to take off from the joint UK-US airbase at Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands.
After the Cobra meeting, a Downing Street spokesperson said: “Ministers were updated on efforts to support British nationals in the region and protect regional security, as well as ongoing diplomatic efforts.”
Israel began bombing Iran nearly a week ago, claiming Tehran was about to develop its own nuclear bomb.
Both countries have continued launching missile strikes on each other ever since, leading to fears of a wider war throughout the Middle East.
Trump – who yesterday called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” _ dropped his biggest hint yet that the US will join Israel in bombing nuclear sites in the country within days.
He said: “Unconditional surrender, that means I’ve had it, that means no more. That means we go blow all the nuclear stuff.”
He added: “The next week is going to be big, very big, maybe less than a week.”
Declining to answer reporters’ questions on whether the US was planning to strike Iran, Trump said: “There’s a big difference between now and a week ago. Nobody knows what I’m going to do.”
Earlier on Wednesday, deputy prime minister Angela Rayner had appeared to hint that the UK would not take part in any military action in Iran.
Standing in for Starmer at prime minister’s questions, she said: “The one thing I will say is that we agree with President Trump that Iran must never have nuclear weapons.
“But we’ve been consistent in urging Iran to engage in the diplomatic process and work with the United States and we continue to support that diplomatic approach.”
