British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves said on Sunday that the decision to deploy additional Royal Air Force jets to the Middle East was primarily aimed at safeguarding UK personnel and military infrastructure, though support for allies, including Israel, remains on the table.
Reeves described the move as a "precautionary measure" in response to heightened regional tensions following reciprocal strikes between Israel and Iran overnight. "We're sending in assets to both protect ourselves and also potentially to support our allies," she stated.
When asked if Britain would respond to a formal request for assistance from Israel, Reeves pointed to past instances of UK support. “We have, in the past, supported Israel when there have been missiles coming in,” she said, referencing the RAF's role in intercepting Iranian drones in April, as well as earlier operations involving British fighter jets and refuelling aircraft.
However, Britain’s relationship with Israel has grown increasingly complex in recent months. Last week, the UK government imposed sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers — National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich — citing repeated incitement of violence against Palestinians. Israel condemned the move as “outrageous”.
Despite its firm support for Israel's right to defend itself, the UK has also expressed growing concern over the conduct of Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
In a further sign of unease, Britain’s Foreign Office updated its travel advisory on Sunday to warn against all travel to Israel, tightening earlier guidance issued on Friday, which cautioned against all but essential visits.
The evolving situation underscores the tightrope London is walking: committed to regional security and historical alliances, yet increasingly vocal on humanitarian concerns and the risks of broader conflict.
A second group of Palestinians receiving medical treatment arrived in Egypt from Gaza via the Rafah border crossing on Tuesday (3 February)....
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on Tuesday (February 3) with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar one day after the U.S. and India...
Washington has accepted Tehran’s request to relocate planned nuclear talks, with negotiations now expected to take place in Oman on Friday (6 Februr...
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday and discussed the situation in Ukraine, including the overnight Ru...
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (3 February) signed a spending deal into law that ends a partial U.S. government shutdown and gives lawmakers t...
Russia expelled a British diplomat it accused of being an undeclared intelligence operative, a claim dismissed by London as “malicious and baseless”, with the UK saying it was weighing its response on Thursday.
Britain’s government has launched a TikTok account featuring footage of raids on migrants suspected of working illegally, as part of an effort to persuade voters and potential arrivals that it is getting to grips with immigration.
The United Kingdom has launched Project Nightfall, a fast-track programme to develop new long-range ballistic missiles for Ukraine, aiming to help Kyiv strike targets deep behind Russian lines.
Train services through the Channel Tunnel were suspended for much of Tuesday after a power supply failure, causing long delays and leaving thousands stranded during peak New Year holiday travel.
Talks with the U.S. should be pursued to secure national interests as long as "threats and unreasonable expectations" are avoided, President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X on Tuesday (3 February).
At least 12 people were killed and seven wounded after a Russian drone struck a bus carrying miners in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, government officials said on Sunday (1 February).
Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío has denied that Havana and Washington have entered formal negotiations, countering recent assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump, while saying the island is open to dialogue under certain conditions.
Mexico said it will stop sending oil to Cuba as U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on the Caribbean nation.
10 people were killed and 26 others injured when a passenger bus rolled off a road and plunged into a ravine in southern Türkiye’s Antalya province on Sunday (1 February), local officials said. In a separate incident, at least seven people were killed in a collision in a tunnel.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on Tuesday (February 3) with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar one day after the U.S. and India signed a trade deal.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday and discussed the situation in Ukraine, including the overnight Russian attacks on the country, the UK government said.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (3 February) signed a spending deal into law that ends a partial U.S. government shutdown and gives lawmakers time to negotiate potential limits on his immigration crackdown.
Small Cirrus SR 20 crashed in Littleborough, Rochdale, after taking off from Birmingham Airport
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that Kyiv is waiting for a response from the United States after overnight Russian attacks damaged energy infrastructure across the country, raising fresh questions over Moscow’s commitment to a proposed halt on strikes.
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