Keir Starmer is beginning an urgent diplomatic push to try to head off the crisis in the Middle East, as the Foreign Office warned Britons not to travel to Israel after further retaliatory attacks by Iran.
Downing Street did not rule out the possibility of having to evacuate UK nationals from Israel if matters deteriorated, saying officials were keeping all contingency plans “under constant review”.
The prime minister was to discuss the continuing clashes between Israel and Iran with the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, in Ottawa before heading to the G7 summit in Kananaskis, in the western province of Alberta.
While Starmer’s programme for meetings at the summit has yet to be set out, it is likely he will hold bilateral talks with leaders such as President Donald Trump, President Emmanuel Macron of France and the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, all of whom Starmer has talked to by phone since the clashes began.
“Our priorities, as we’ve repeatedly said, is de-escalation,” Starmer’s deputy spokesperson told reporters in the Canadian capital, before the prime minister met Carney for talks. On Saturday evening, the pair held an informal meeting before watching the Stanley Cup ice hockey final on TV in an Ottawa bar. “That is what we’re concentrating on and encouraging in our discussions with international partners.”
Asked what Starmer could do at the G7, he added: “Clearly, the Middle East will be a topic of discussion, and will be this afternoon in the bilateral with prime minister Carney, but we’ve been clear throughout that the only route to peace is through diplomacy and through de-escalation.”
Earlier on Sunday, the Foreign Office warned Britons against travel to Israel or the occupied Palestinian territories, one of the UK government’s most severe warnings in recent memory.
The updated guidance warned that insurance policies may be invalidated, describing the crisis as a “fast-moving situation” posing “significant risks”.
It marks the biggest escalation of UK travel advice since October 2023, when the government urged citizens to avoid all but essential travel after the Hamas attacks of 7 October. Sunday’s blanket warning goes further still, reflecting the growing threat to foreign nationals as tensions between Israel and Iran boil over into open confrontation.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, during the flight to Canada, Starmer refused to rule out defending Israel from Iranian strikes launched in response to Israel’s attack against Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, despite Tehran’s threat that such an action could lead to British bases in the region being targeted.
Speaking earlier to Sky News, Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, said that while the UK had sent additional RAF Typhoon jets and refuelling aircraft to the region, this was just a “precautionary” move.
“It does not mean that we are at war,” she said. Reeves noted the UK has in the past helped intercept missiles heading towards Israel, and said similar defensive action could not be ruled out.
“We have in the past supported Israel when there have been missiles coming in,” she said, adding the government would act to protect British assets and potentially support its allies.
Asked if the UK would back Israel if it seemingly wanted to go further than degrading Iran’s nuclear capabilities, with strikes intended to push for regime change in Tehran, the No 10 spokesperson said not.
“We have always been clear Israel must abide by international law, but more broadly, as I say, we’ve always supported Israel’s right to self-defence and its right to protect its citizens,” he said.
“Top of our priorities, we’ve repeatedly said, is de-escalation. That is what we’re concentrating on and encouraging in our discussions with international partners.”
Israel’s ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, said on Sunday that “Europe owes a huge thank you” for Israel’s strike on Iranian nuclear infrastructure.
She called the operation an act of self-defence, insisting Iran had rejected diplomatic overtures. “Our region would have been a place that is not safe for anyone if Iran had accomplished their plan,” she told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
Over the weekend, Iranian missiles struck civilian areas of Israel, including the coastal city of Bat Yam, killing at least 13 people. In retaliation, Israel launched strikes deep into Iranian territory, including sites linked to the Revolutionary Guard and the country’s South Pars gas field.
Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has threatened a “more decisive and severe” response if Israeli strikes continue. The nation’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, accused Israel of attempting to drag the war into the Persian Gulf, and warned the conflict could spread further if not contained.
Araghchi also claimed Israel’s actions were designed to sabotage nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, and alleged they could not have happened “without the US green light and support”.
With oil prices rising and regional instability worsening, governments in the west are facing pressure to both contain the violence and protect critical energy routes.
