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

They said that the UK’s “immediate priority” was the safety of its citizens in the region.

The spokesman also said that the UK has “a range of defensive capabilities in the region, which we have recently bolstered. We stand ready to protect our interests”.

A government source noted, however, that Britain was not involved in the US and Israeli strikes on Iran today.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was understood to be chairing an emergency meeting of his key cabinet ministers during the day.

Separately, the British government, in a message on X, urged its citizens in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE to “immediately shelter in place” because of reported missile attacks on sites in those countries.