A two-week ceasefire was agreed between the US and Iran. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will say Lebanon must be included in the ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran, while US Vice-President JD Vance said the ceasefire deal with Iran does not include Lebanon. Following the ceasefire announcement, Israel intensified its bombing campaign in Lebanon, with at least 254 people killed.
The economic fallout from the conflict has been immediate, with Iran halting the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz in response to the conflict. Global prices of fuel and fertiliser have risen sharply due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Brits have been warned that petrol prices could continue to rise over the next six months.
There is considerable work to do, and we support the negotiations: they must make progress; there must be no return to conflict; Lebanon must be included in the ceasefire; there must be no further threat from Iran to its neighbours; and crucially, the strait of Hormuz must be fully reopened.
The UK government has taken action to provide extra insulation for households for their energy bills. Energy bills have gone down this spring due to government action. UK military involvement has expanded significantly, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer giving the US permission to use British bases to target Iranian weapons storage facilities and missile launch sites.
RAF jets are patrolling the skies in the region to shoot down Iranian missiles and drones targeted at other countries. Two British warships – HMS Dragon and HMS Prince of Wales – are expected to set sail to the region next week. The UK's official stance on the conflict remains carefully worded.
More than 3,000 miles away from here – yet the deliberate blocking of this critical artery of the global economy is affecting mortgage rates, petrol and food prices, here at home. Every country on every continent has felt the effects.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper refused to say whether the UK is 'at war' in Iran. Yvette Cooper described the UK's involvement as providing defensive support in a conflict. The Strait of Hormuz closure has disrupted global oil shipments, contributing to market volatility.
The UK's military deployments are part of broader international efforts to contain regional tensions.
Fertiliser for Africa, liquid natural gas for Asia, jet fuel for the world; the trading route for Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Oman, all hijacked by Iran so they can hold the global economy hostage.
No country can close these routes – it goes against the fundamental principles of the law of the sea.
We know more than ever that freedom of navigation is the underpinning of global trade. It matters for every sea, ocean and strait. Every country has a stake in this. Every industry is affected by it.
Those have actually gone down this spring because of action the Labour government has already taken because we're so concerned about the cost of living and the pressure that that is having on people.
I think that reflects the complexity and the reality of the kinds of security issues we face and I think most people across the country know there’s not just a simplistic world out there that we can just pick and choose from and think that all of our decisions are easy.
It is complex the situation we are facing, so of course we didn’t provide the support for the initial strikes that took place, but we are responding and taking action, including military action, to provide defensive support to partner countries.
We are providing defensive support in a conflict, and that I think is the way to describe it.
We want to see resolution of this conflict as swiftly as possible, but our armed forces, our RAF, they are flying defensive strike action against the drones and attacks that those countries are facing.