Joining an EU gathering in Brussels on Monday to discuss skyrocketing oil prices during the US-Israeli war on Iran, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Berlin had no intention of joining military operations during the conflict.

a“We need more clarity here,” Wadephul told reporters ahead of the meeting. “We expect from the US and Israel to inform us, to include us into what they’re doing there and to tell us if these goals are achieved.”

“Once we have a clear picture of that, we believe we need to move into the next phase, namely, defining a security architecture for this entire region, together with the neighbouring states,” he said.

Meanwhile, speaking from Berlin, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said that while there would be “no military participation” from his country, it was prepared to support diplomatic efforts “to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz”.

“This is not our war. We have ⁠not started it,” said Pistorius. “What does … Trump expect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful ⁠US Navy cannot do?”

Also speaking from Berlin, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesman said the conflict has “nothing to do with NATO”. Stefan Kornelius told reporters NATO was “an alliance for the defence of territory”, adding that “the mandate to deploy NATO is lacking”.

Germany’s position was echoed by fellow NATO member the United Kingdom. Speaking from London about joining any mission in the Strait of Hormuz, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Let me be clear: that won’t be, and it’s never been envisioned to be, a NATO mission.”

Starmer stressed the UK would “not be drawn into the wider war”. However, he said the UK was discussing with the US and allies in Europe and the Gulf the possibility of using its mine-hunting drones already in the region.

A number of EU countries joined Germany in reacting with scepticism to Trump’s call on Sunday for a naval coalition to deploy warships to secure the key Gulf waterway, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments transit.

The strait has essentially been shuttered as a result of the war, which has seen the US and Israel launch deadly attacks across Iran since February 28. Iran has retaliated by firing missiles and drones across the wider Middle East, roiling global energy markets.

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten told the country’s ANP news agency that it would be “very difficult to launch a successful mission there in the short-term”.

Lithuania and Estonia said NATO countries should consider a US request for help but cautioned over the need for greater clarity around various aspects of any potential mission.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna also said that US allies in Europe want to understand Trump’s “strategic goals”. “What will be the plan?” he asked.

⁠Greek government spokesman ⁠Pavlos ⁠Marinakis said ⁠that Greece ⁠would not ⁠engage in ⁠any military operations ‌in the Strait of Hormuz.

Italian Foreign ⁠Minister Antonio ⁠Tajani said Italy was not involved in any naval missions that could be ‌extended to the area.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said, however, that Europe should keep an open mind ⁠on helping to ensure freedom of navigation in the strait even if the continent did not support the ⁠US-Israeli decision to go to war with Iran.

“We must face the world as it is, not as we want it to be,” Rasmussen said, adding that the EU must decide on a plan “with a view towards de-escalation”.

Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski invited the Trump administration to go through the proper channels.

“If there is a request via NATO, we will of course out of respect and sympathy for our American allies consider it very carefully,” he said.

Sikorski made a reference to Article 4 of NATO’s founding treaty, which allies can invoke if they believe their territory or security is under threat.

On Monday, Trump appeared to criticise countries reluctant to help unblock the waterway

“Some  are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren’t. Some are countries that we’ve helped for many, many years. We’ve protected them from horrible outside sources, and they weren’t that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm matters to me,” he said at an event at the White House.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters before the meeting in Brussels that the bloc’s leaders would focus on how the EU could contribute to reopening the waterway.

“We first need to discuss what the member states are willing to do in the Strait of Hormuz,” she said. “Of course, the needs to open the Strait of Hormuz are there right now.”

Kallas said the strait’s closure, which has sent oil prices to more than $100 a barrel, was benefitting Russia’s war on Ukraine, which is largely funded by Moscow’s energy revenues.

Reporting from Brussels, Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen said what was clear is that European leaders are “increasingly feeling the pressure from Trump to help him reopen the Strait of Hormuz”.

“There is very little appetite [on the part of EU leaders] for joining the war, especially because they feel left out of the loop,” Vaessen said. “They will be discussing a way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but that doesn’t necessarily mean sending warships.”

In an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday, Trump said NATO faced a “very bad” future if his proposal for a military operation in the strait received no response or a negative one.

France  has suggested the EU could expand its Aspides mission, a small naval mission established in 2024 to protect ships from attacks by Yemen’s Houthis in the Red Sea.

It currently has an Italian and a Greek ship under its direct command and may also call upon a French ship and another Italian vessel for support.

A ban on sites like Tiktok, Instagram, and Snapchat was brought in for children in Australia at the end of last year – the first country to impose a ban – and similar plans were backed by peers in the House of Lords in January.

Supporters include actor Hugh Grant, but critics such as children’s charity the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) warned of young people being driven to dark corners of the internet as a result.

Responding to the result, the Liberal Democrats said failure to commit to a ban was “simply not good enough”.

Opponents also include the father of Molly Russell, who took her own life at 14 after viewing harmful content online, who said the government should focus on robust enforcement of existing laws.

Plans for a ban were put forward as suggested changes to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

But in the Commons on Monday, education minister Olivia Bailey urged MPs to dismiss the change and support more flexible restrictions.

“Many parents and campaign groups have called for an outright ban on social media for under-16s,” she said.

“Others, including children’s charities, have warned that a blanket ban could drive children towards less regulated corners of the internet or leave teenagers unprepared when they do come online.

“That is why last week, the government launched a consultation to seek views to help shape our next steps and ensure children can grow up with a safer, healthier and more enriching relationship with the online world.”

The consultation will look at whether social media platforms should come with a minimum age requirement and whether platforms should switch off addictive features such as autoplay.

Bailey’s alternative plan will give Science Secretary Liz Kendall powers to “restrict or ban children of certain ages from accessing social media services and chat bots”.

Kendall will also have the option to limit access to “specific features that are harmful or addictive” on social media, as well as the ability to “restrict or limit children’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) use and change the age of digital consent in the UK”.

MPs voted 307 to 173 against the Lords proposal for an outright ban, and supported Bailey’s bid, which left the door to a ban of some sort open.

But more than 100 Labour MPs abstained, including North Somerset’s Sadik Al-Hassan, who said if social media was a drug, it would be banned.

During the debate, he said: “Parents like me are locked in a daily battle that they simply cannot win alone, fighting platforms that have been specifically designed to keep children hooked.

“As a pharmacist, I know if a drug were causing such measurable harm for 78%, it would be withdrawn, reformulated or placed behind a counter with strict controls on who could access it.

“We would act, because that is what the evidence demanded. The same logic must apply here.

“We have an identifiable source, we have overwhelming evidence of harm, and we have the power to act.”

Conservative former education minister Lord Nash, who tabled the amendment in the Lords to prevent under-16s from accessing social media, described the vote result in the Commons as “deeply disappointing”.

He said MPs had “chosen to gamble on a process which may lead to half measures”, adding he will work with peers to “do all that we can” to revive the amendment.

Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Munira Wilson accused the government of failing to grasp the issue.

She said: “The government’s failure to commit to a ban on harmful social media is simply not good enough – families need concrete assurances now.

“We need the government to confirm that their consultation will not result in yet more dither and delay.”

The fire started in a vape shop on Union Street on Sunday afternoon, with the B-listed Victorian building collapsing several hours later as flames spread.

All train services to or from the station’s high level have been cancelled and National Rail said the station – which is Scotland’s busiest – will be closed until further notice. No casualties have been reported.

Large crowds gathered at the edge of cordons on Renfield Street and Gordon Street to watch the fire, as emergency services urged people to stay away.

Following a meeting at midnight, Network Rail said: “As things stand we’ve not identified any significant damage to the station. We’ll get this fully assessed at first light.”

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said more than 60 firefighters and 15 vehicles were in attendance at the scene.

Six crews were initially sent to the scene on Union Street at about 15:45 local time, but the fire worsened into the evening.

Smoke had initially been seen billowing out of the building next to an entrance to the station.

However within hours flames could be seen, with eyewitnesses describing it on social media as looking “catastrophic”.

The building known as Union Corner – at the junction of Union Street and Gordon Street – dates back to 1851.

It pre-dates the station itself which opened in 1879.

Police cordoned off the street between Gordon Street and St Vincent Street when the fire started. Diversions have been put in place.

People have been urged to avoid the area and police have advised residents to keep their windows closed.

In a statement issued at 22:30 local time, a Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “Firefighters continue to work to extinguish a large building fire on Union Street, Glasgow.

“At its height, 15 fire appliances and specialist resources, including three high-reach vehicles and a water rescue team, were mobilised to the area.

“There are no reported casualties, and crews remain at the scene.”

No 10 released limited details of the call, saying the two leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East and military cooperation between the UK and US.

On Saturday, the president said the UK was considering sending aircraft carriers to the Middle East but dismissed the prospect, writing on social media “we don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!” – while labelling Britain “our once great ally”.

Sir Keir has previously said the UK would not join offensive actions, but agreed to let the US use British bases for defensive strikes on Iranian missile sites.

Trump has repeatedly expressed his frustration at the prime minister after he refused a US request to use UK bases for initial offensive strikes against Iran.

Earlier this week, Trump said he was “not happy with the UK”, adding that Sir Keir was “no Winston Churchill”.

Speaking to Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Sir Keir Starmer was “right to stand up for Britain’s interests” and that the UK government would not agree with the president “on every issue”.

“It’s for the US president to decide what he thinks is in the US national interest, and that’s for him to do.

“But it is our job as the UK government to decide what’s in the UK national interest, and that doesn’t mean simply agreeing with other countries or outsourcing our foreign policy to other countries.”

Following the phone call between Trump and Sir Keir, Downing Street said in a statement: “The leaders began by discussing the latest situation in the Middle East and the military cooperation between the UK and US through the use of RAF bases in support of the collective self-defence of partners in the region.

“The prime minister also shared his heartfelt condolences with President Trump and the American people following the deaths of six US soldiers.

“They looked forward to speaking again soon.”

Despite the criticism from Trump, Downing Street has defended its decision not to join the initial strikes and has reiterated that it does not want to participate in the wider offensive campaign in the Middle East.

Cooper said the UK would “provide defensive support when we see Iranian strikes on partner countries where British citizens are residing”.

RAF jets have been sent to the region to shoot down missiles and drones fired by Iran at UK allies.

The UK aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has been placed on advanced readiness but the foreign secretary would not confirm whether it would be sent to the region.

On Friday, former Labour Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair – who led the UK into the Iraq war in 2003 – told a private event that the UK should have backed the strikes from the beginning.

He said the US was an “indispensable cornerstone” of the UK’s security, and that allies should “show up” regardless of who the current president is.

Cooper, who was a junior minister in Sir Tony’s government when the UK joined the US invasion of Iraq, said it was “important to learn lessons from what went wrong” in that conflict.

She said that included “recognising that all our decisions need to be about what is right for British citizens”.

The foreign secretary said “there are some people in politics who think we should just unquestioningly agree with the US whatever” while others “think we should never agree with the US” or “go along with joint action” but that neither was the right approach.

Appearing on the same programme, the Iranian ambassador in London warned the UK to be “very careful” about becoming further involved in the war.

Seyed Ali Mousavi said “if facilities or properties or bases are used against the Iranian nation”, they would be considered “legitimate targets”.

Reform UK’s Robert Jenrick said his party did not think the UK should take part in offensive bombing raids over Iran but argued that the government should have let the US use UK bases “from the outset”.

He told Kuenssberg that the “vacillation of the PM has damaged relations with the US significantly”.

Speaking to Sky News, Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp accused the government of “a dereliction of duty” by failing to move warships to Cyprus or the Middle East ahead of the conflict.

“The problem is, those ships as we speak, are nowhere near Cyprus. They’re nowhere near the Gulf,” Philp said.

“They’re tied up at the docks in Portsmouth because Keir Starmer and the Labour government showed no foresight whatsoever, even though they knew three or four weeks ago that America planned this action against Iran, they did not move those ships into the region.”

Earlier this week, a small drone struck the runway at RAF Akrotiri, causing what the Ministry of Defence said was “minimal damage”.

HMS Dragon – which has air defence capabilities – is currently in Portsmouth but is being sent to the Mediterranean to bolster security around the RAF base in Akrotiri in Cyprus. It is not expected to set sail until next week.

The crew of HMS Prince of Wales has been told they should be ready to leave in five days.

Asked if the UK had been slow to respond to the conflict, Cooper said the UK had “pre-deployed” fighter jets to the region along with 400 additional personnel.

She said that since the conflict had begun, the government had deployed additional typhoon fighter jets and Wildcat helicopters.

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said a scheduled visit by King Charles to the US should be called off.

“At a time when Trump has launched an illegal war that is devastating the Middle East and pushing up energy bills for British families, it’s clear this visit should not go ahead.

“A state visit from our King would be seen as yet another huge diplomatic coup for President Trump, so it should not be given to someone who repeatedly insults and damages our country.”

Thousands of Britons have been stranded in the region, including in Dubai, after the US and Israel’s conflict with Iran led to widespread airspace closures and cancelled flights.

The most vulnerable will be prioritised for booking onto charter flights and the Foreign Office has said it will contact those who have registered their presence in the region.

The government began operating flights out of the region earlier in the week from Muscat, Oman. Two have returned to the UK so far and a flight from Dubai is scheduled for early next week.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) continues to be affected by the conflict.

On Saturday, a Dubai resident was killed after shrapnel from an “aerial interception” fell on a vehicle in the Al Barsha area, the Dubai Media Office said.

More than 160,000 British nationals have registered their presence in the region with the Foreign Office.

On Saturday, the government announced it will run a commercial charter flight from Dubai, available for a charge. British nationals, their spouse or partner and children under the age of 18 are eligible to register.

Earlier, Emirates airline said it had carried about 30,000 passengers out of Dubai on Thursday and had operated 35 flights to the UK since resuming services.

It’s a week since the drone punched a hole in a hangar at RAF Akrotiri.

That hole, for some in Britain, symbolises embarrassing gaps in UK hard power.

For some in Cyprus, it’s another unwelcome result of British military overreach.

“We just want to have an independent Cyprus,” said local business owner Natasha Theodotou.

She was holding a banner that read “British Bases Out” at a demonstration outside the presidential palace in the capital, Nicosia.

“Just as we’re occupied by the Turkish government,” said Natasha, “we are occupied by the UK.”

She wants to see a unified country where Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots live together.

Britain retained two major sovereign bases in Cyprus’ south and south east, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, as part of a 1960 treaty that established the island’s independence and ended its status as a British colony.

In 1974 Turkey invaded and took control of Cyprus’ northern third in response to a Greece-backed military coup.

Not far from the protest tourists queue up at a checkpoint allowing passage into the Turkish-controlled part of Nicosia.

The city, which sits on the UN-patrolled buffer zone known as the Green Line, is sometimes called the world’s last divided capital.

British military officials’ best assessment is that the drone that hit RAF Akrotiri was launched in Lebanon by the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah.

The UK government has said its bases in Cyprus are not among those that could be utilised by US bombers for “defensive” strikes on Iranian missile sites.

But the reported use of the base by American U-2 spy planes may explain why RAF Akrotiri was a target, as Iran and its proxies retaliated against US-Israeli strikes.

The UK has not taken part in any direct attacks on Iran itself.

Roughly 200 to 300 protesters joined the march on Saturday, carrying signs that were also pro-Palestine and critical of the US and Israel.

Chants included: “Say it loud, say it clear, British bases out of here.”

The territory, kept by the UK, covers about 98 sq miles (254 sq km) and is even patrolled by a separate, special police force.

These Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) are a lingering point of contention while also being highly interwoven into the island and a source of employment.

They encompass communities well beyond the fenced-off airbase of RAF Akrotiri, on the island’s southern tip.

“I think that we’d be a lot safer without them here,” said Shona Muir, holding up the British Bases Out banner with Natasha.

“Their presence alone here makes us more of a target.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence told the BBC: “Our bases in Cyprus play a crucial role in supporting the safety of British citizens and our allies in the Mediterranean and in the Middle East.”

“Just this week, we have flown Typhoon and F-35 fighter jets on sorties around the region, shooting down Iranian drones and defending innocent civilians from Iran’s indiscriminate attacks,” they added.

The Cypriot government has been at pains to stress that it’s a UK base, not Cyprus, that was targeted by a drone and that Cyprus has no involvement in the ongoing conflict.

A UK foothold in the Eastern Mediterranean, RAF Akrotiri has long supported operations in the Middle East and, more recently, reportedly been used for surveillance flights over Gaza.

“We don’t know what’s happening in [the] British bases,” said Stephanos Stavros, who also came to Saturday’s demonstration.

“There are worries now that there are things there that we were not aware [of].”

Stephanos said the treaty establishing the bases should be complied with, but he wanted to see “full transparency”.

This week, Cyprus’ Foreign Minister, Constantinos Kombos, said the matter of British bases had been “on the agenda” for a long time.

“But I believe this is a conversation that one needs to have after we have a careful reflection as to what has transpired, especially in recent days and hours,” he told BBC Newsnight.

Any renegotiation, in reality, would be extremely complex, given that the foundational agreements involved the UK, Greece, and Turkey as well as representatives from the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.

In a social media post, Trump said the UK was “giving serious thought” to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East, before saying the US does not “need them”. Downing Street has not responded.

One of the UK’s two aircraft carriers has been placed on advanced readiness, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed earlier on Saturday.

Trump’s comments came after US bomber jets were seen landing in the UK as the US started using British bases for “specific defensive operations”.

“The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday. “That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer – But we will remember.

“We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”

Speaking on Air Force One in response to a question about the use of UK bases in the war, Trump referred to his post on Truth Social, saying: “We don’t need them,” appearing to reference the carriers.

He added: “It’s not the right time. It would have been nice to have them two weeks ago.”

The UK government has defended its decision not to join initial US and Israel strikes on Iran, and has remained clear that it has no interest in joining the wider offensive campaign in the Middle East.

Earlier in the week, the prime minister told MPs: “President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest.”

While Sir Keir has not responded directly to Trump’s post, he earlier wrote in the Sunday Mirror that “at moments like this, the country needs seriousness, not political games”.

“While opposition parties seek to undermine Britain on the world stage, my Labour government is focused on protecting British people at home and abroad,” he added.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has accused the prime minister of being “too afraid” to make decisions and “sitting on the fence” over the conflict in the Middle East.

Speaking at the Conservative Spring conference on Saturday, she said “we are in this war whether Keir Starmer likes it or not”.

The back and forth between Trump and Sir Keir began after the UK initially refused to permit the US to use UK bases for its joint offensive with Israel against Iran.

Sir Keir later approved “defensive” US action against Iranian missile sites from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, and said the UK government “does not believe in regime change from the skies”.

The UK prime minister said the decision was made after the situation changed last Sunday when Iran’s “outrageous” response became “a threat to our people, our interests and our allies”.

The crew of HMS Prince of Wales in Portsmouth have been told they must be ready to leave in five days.

This has raised speculation the carrier may be deployed to the to the Mediterranean to help defend British interests threatened during the conflict in the Middle East – but people inside Sir Keir’s government are playing down that idea.

The UK’s other aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is out of action for the foreseeable future.

The UK has already said it will deploy a Royal Navy warship after an RAF base in Akrotiri in Cyprus has been targeted by drones.

HMS Dragon – which has air defence capabilities – is being sent to the Mediterranean to bolster security around the base, but will not set sail until next week.

Trump told the BBC’s US partner, CBS News, on Saturday: “It’s a little bit late to be sending ships, right? A little bit late.”

Pressed on whether US allies could do more to assist US operations in Iran, Trump said: “I couldn’t care less. They can do whatever they want. The loyal ones are already in.”

Trump told journalists in the Oval Office earlier this week he was “not happy with the UK” over the initial decision to refuse use of UK bases, which led to US planes “flying many extra hours” to carry out strikes last weekend. He also told reporters Sir Keir is “no Winston Churchill”.

Sir Keir has insisted the “special relationship” between the US and the UK had not been fractured while speaking to reporters on Thursday.

“Look, the special relationship is in operation right now,” he said. “We’re sharing intelligence on a 24/7 basis in the usual way. That is the special relationship.”

On Friday, a US B-1 bomber was seen landing at RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire.

For many months Sir Keir has pointed to his relationship with Trump as one of the biggest successes of his premiership.

That is no longer the case. This is just the latest example of President Trump being openly critical towards the prime minister, and it is clear he is still angry the UK blocked him from using British bases when he first launched strikes against Iran.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair – who led the UK into the Iraq war – told a private event that the US was an “indispensable cornerstone” of the UK’s security, and that allies should “show up” regardless of who the current president is.

Seyed Ali Mousavi told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg his country would have a “right to self-defence” if the UK directly joined US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

He warned that Iran expected the British government, and others, “to be very delicate, very careful” in their actions.

The UK has given permission for the US to use British bases for what ministers describe as defensive strikes on Iranian facilities, but has not taken part in any direct attacks itself.

The ambassador said it was “good” that the UK was not “involved with this aggression”, adding he believed the British government had learnt lessons from the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Despite the Iranian president’s apology to its Gulf neighbours on Saturday, Mousavi made clear Iran would continue to attack US bases if strikes on Iran continued.

Days of strikes across the Middle East have caused enormous disruption and damage in many different countries.

Mousavi said that “if facilities or properties or bases are used against the Iranian nation”, they would be considered “legitimate targets”.

In the last few hours, Gulf countries including Qatar and the UAE have been hit by Iran, while the US and Israel have continued their attacks as the war enters a second week.

In an interview with the BBC to be broadcast on Sunday, Mousavi was asked if Iran would stop its attacks on military bases outside Israel in other parts of the Middle East.

He said there is “willingness from the Iranian side not to strike, not to attack our neighbours”.

But he maintained that Iran had the right to continue striking targets across the whole region where there were military bases.

Mousavi said Iran’s response “depends on the activities of the Americans and the Israeli regime”.

“If the aggression… continues there is no doubt we will defend ourselves,” he said. “And if they want to use these military bases – although we don’t want to do that – there is no doubt we will defend ourselves accordingly.”

It has been more than seven days since the US and Israel began strikes on Iran, which led Tehran to retaliate with its own attacks across the region.

Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Iraq have all been hit, as has an RAF base in Cyprus.

In spite of President Masoud Pezeshkian’s apology, reports from the region suggest Iranian strikes have not stopped. Qatar and the UAE both said on Saturday afternoon they had intercepted missiles targeting them.

Pezeshkian’s message has not been universally welcomed inside Iran, with some hardliners criticising the tone as weak.

It is rare for the leadership of a country like Iran to apologise, let alone in public.

And it is rare for a representative of Iran to agree to be interviewed.

But in the wake of the president’s apology, Iran’s ambassador to the UK agreed to our request to speak to him, and even more unusually, invited us to speak to him in Iran’s embassy in London, a building that tells the story of the fraught and troubled history between Iran and the West.

The building, on the edge of London’s Hyde Park, is where five Iranian gunmen were killed after a dramatic siege that was brought to an end by SAS commandos in 1980.

Nineteen hostages were set free, but one died and two were injured in the crossfire.

The gunmen belonged to a dissident Iranian group opposed to Ayatollah Khomeini, the religious leader.

The crew of HMS Prince of Wales have been told they must be ready to leave in five days, defence sources said.

This may raise speculation the carrier could be deployed to the Mediterranean to help defend British interests threatened during the conflict in the Middle East.

Before this, the ship’s “notice to sail” was 14 days.

On Saturday night, US President Donald Trump criticised Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for not sending carriers to the Middle East earlier.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: “The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East.”

He added: “That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer – But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”

The UK government has not joined offensive operations with regard to Iran or given any commitment to do so.

The government has been accused of not acting fast enough to protect Cyprus from enemy drones and missiles.

Sir Keir denied the UK was not prepared for the conflict, saying Britain had begun pre-deploying assets to the region earlier this year – particularly to Qatar and Cyprus – alongside the US and other allies.

Defence sources said 400 additional UK personnel had been sent over the past weeks to support air defence activities across the UK’s bases in Cyprus.

Meanwhile, more US B-1 Lancer bombers have arrived at RAF Fairford.

A Type 45 destroyer, HMS Dragon, has been deployed to the region but will not be ready to leave Portsmouth until next week.

HMS Prince of Wales is in Portsmouth receiving routine maintenance ahead of a planned deployment to the North Atlantic and Arctic later this year.

The carrier strike group was due to take part in Operation Firecrest alongside US, Canadian and European allies to deter Russian aggression in the High North.

A defence source said that the Prince of Wales had had “her readiness increased to five days’ notice to sail”.

The MoD confirmed the change in status for the carrier.

A ministry spokesperson said: “We have been bolstering our UK military presence in the Middle East since January, and we have already deployed capabilities to protect British people and our allies in the region, including Typhoons, F-35 jets, air defence systems and an extra 400 personnel into Cyprus.

“Since the strikes began, we’ve had British jets in the sky shooting down drones and have sent additional assets to the region to further reinforce our air defences, including more Typhoons and Wildcat helicopters with drone busting missiles.

“HMS Prince of Wales has always been on very high readiness and we are increasing the preparedness of the carrier, reducing the time it would take to set sail for any deployment.”

HMS Prince of Wales is one of the Royal Navy’s most powerful surface warships and is capable of sailing 500 miles per day.

It is over 900ft (280m) long and can carry up to 24 F-35B stealth jets, plus helicopters and drones, with 1,600 personnel.

The MoD also confirmed the US had started using British bases “for specific defensive operations”.

The first B-1 arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday evening, followed by three more of the jets and a C-5 airlifter on Saturday.

Dozens of anti-war protesters gathered outside the base, carrying flags and placards. A smaller group of people also attended in support of the UK military.

In London, thousands of protesters called for an end to attacks on Iran, which they said were illegal, unprovoked and unjustified. Marching towards the US Embassy, they held placards saying “Hands off Iran” and “Stop Trump’s Wars”.

In a separate protest headed from Downing Street to the Iranian Embassy, other demonstrators called for a free and democratic Iran.

While much of the anger on the anti-war march was aimed as the US president, protesters were clear that the UK should not blindly follow the US into a war in the Middle East.

Sir Keir has come under mounting criticism for his approach to the crisis. Last week, he defended his decision not to permit the US to use British bases in the opening assault against Tehran, arguing that the government must keep a “cool head”. But on Saturday, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch renewed her attacks on the prime minister’s approach, saying he was “too scared to make foreign interventions.”

Sir Keir had initially refused to grant permission for the US to use UK bases in its joint offensive with Israel against Iran, which caused a disagreement with President Donald Trump.

The arrival of the huge aircraft comes after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that strikes on Iran were “about to surge dramatically”.

The 146ft (44.5m) B-1 Lancer arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday evening.

Trump told journalists in the Oval Office earlier this week he was “not happy with the UK” over the decision, which led to US planes “flying many extra hours” to carry out strikes last weekend.

After granting the US permission to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, the prime minister told MPs the government “does not believe in regime change from the skies”.

RAF Fairford, located on the border of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, has been used by the US in the past to conduct long-range heavy bombing missions.

The B-1 bomber weighs 86 tonnes and is the fastest bomber in the US Air Force, according to Boeing, hitting speeds of more than 900mph (1,448.4km/h).

Nicknamed “the Bone”, the US bomber has advanced radar and GPS systems to help hit targets, and electronic jammers, radar warnings and a decoy system to protect it from enemies.

Military analyst and former British Army Officer Justin Crump said the B1-Lancer is “one of the most significant bombers in the world” and is capabable carrying large bomb loads a long way, quickly, if it needs to.

Crump, the CEO of private intelligence firm Sibylline, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “shuttling from RAF Fairford is a lot more efficient” and “makes sense” for the US as the commute from the US to Iran and back is lengthy.

The war between Israel, the US and Iran entered its eighth day on Saturday.

Overnight, explosions rocked Tehran following Trump’s assertion that there will be “no deal” with Iran except “unconditional surrender”.

Elsewhere, the UK has also faced criticism over its response to drone attacks on the RAF’s Akrotiri base in Cyprus.

Downing Street rejected suggestions the government failed to provide enough military assets in the Middle East after the base was hit.

Sir Keir told reporters on Thursday protective measures at the airbase have always been in place.

The drone strike on the British military base caused “minimal damage” and did not result in any casualties.