Keir Starmer said the UK “played no role” in reported US and Israeli strikes on Iran, while confirming British aircraft are flying co-ordinated defensive missions in the region. He said protections for UK bases and personnel have been raised to the highest level and that the government is contacting UK nationals. Starmer chaired an emergency COBRA meeting as Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes.

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Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the UK was not involved in US and Israeli military strikes on Iran, insisting Britain “played no role in these strikes”, as he confirmed British forces were operating in the region in what he described as co-ordinated defensive missions.

In a Downing Street statement on Saturday, Starmer said the government had strengthened the UK’s “defensive capabilities in the region” in recent days and that British aircraft were currently active as part of regional efforts to protect allied states and British interests amid rapidly escalating tensions.

“The United Kingdom played no role in these strikes,” Starmer said. He added that Britain stood “in support and solidarity with partners across the region” who were targeted in subsequent attacks.

“As part of our commitments to the security of our allies in the Middle East we have a range of defensive capabilities in the region – which we’ve recently taken steps to strengthen,” he said.

“Our forces are active and British planes are in the sky today as part of co-ordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people, our interests, and our allies – as Britain has done before, in line with international law.”

Starmer also said the UK had “stepped up protections for British bases and personnel to their highest level”, amid fears that Western facilities could be drawn into a wider confrontation following Iran’s response to the strikes.

The prime minister said the government was also working to support British nationals in the Middle East. “We are also reaching out to UK nationals in the region and doing everything we can to support them,” he said.

The UK statement came after the United States and Israel carried out joint attacks on Iranian targets in the early hours of Saturday, according to reports. Iran has since launched retaliatory missile strikes across the region, in an escalation that has heightened concerns of a wider conflict involving multiple states and armed groups.

Regional security alerts have been raised in several countries, with warnings issued to civilians to follow local guidance as air defence systems are activated and airspace restrictions have been imposed in parts of the region, according to reports.

Starmer’s comments sought to draw a clear distinction between the UK’s defensive posture and the offensive action taken by Washington and Jerusalem, while signalling that British military assets are positioned to help protect allies and UK forces stationed overseas.

He said Britain’s activity in the region was focused on defence, and framed the UK position as consistent with earlier episodes in which the country has supported partners against missile and drone attacks.

The prime minister also reiterated the UK’s longstanding position on Iran’s nuclear programme, saying Iran “must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon”, while urging restraint and a return to diplomacy.

“It is vital now that we prevent further escalation and return to a diplomatic process,” he said.

Starmer chaired an emergency meeting of COBRA on Saturday to co-ordinate the UK response, amid continuing developments and uncertainty over the scale and direction of further military action. The government has not set out detailed operational information about the defensive missions under way, beyond confirming British aircraft are active in the region.

Separately, travel and security advice has been tightened for British nationals in parts of the Middle East as the situation unfolds, with consular outreach under way. The government has not announced any evacuation plans but has urged British citizens in affected areas to remain alert and follow official guidance.

The crisis has also sparked immediate political reaction in Westminster. Opposition figures have taken differing positions, with some voices calling for stronger support for the US and Israel and others raising questions about the legality of the strikes and the risk of escalation. The government has so far avoided direct criticism of the US–Israeli action while emphasising that the UK did not participate.

The fast-moving conflict has raised concerns about the potential knock-on effects for energy markets and shipping routes, as well as the security of UK bases and personnel in the Gulf and elsewhere in the region.

Officials have not said whether the UK received requests for direct operational support linked to the strikes. Starmer’s statement did not address specific bases, but underlined that force protection measures have been raised to the highest level.

The UK has previously taken part in defensive action in response to Iranian drone and missile attacks in recent years, and Saturday’s statement suggested the government is preparing for further attempts to strike allied targets.

With Iran’s retaliation continuing to develop and international diplomatic efforts expected to intensify, Starmer’s government is attempting to maintain a dual message: distancing Britain from the initial strikes, while demonstrating readiness to help defend partners and protect UK nationals and assets.

The government said further updates would follow as the situation becomes clearer.

This is a developing story.